Whatever It Takes
by Marisa
Summary: Tifa reflects on the days when AVALANCHE chased after a madman threatening to destroy the planet while she internally fought for Cloud’s affection. And in the present, can she really live without him? Not the average game story. Cloti
1. Chapter 1

**Story Summary  
**Tifa reflects on the days when AVALANCHE chased after a madman threatening to destroy the planet while she internally fought for Cloud's affection. And in the present, can she really live without him? Not the average story. (Cloti)

**Disclaimer  
**All characters and locations in the _Final Fantasy VII_ universe are the property of Square-Enix. Sadly I make no profit in this project.

**Author's Notes  
**1) The exact timeline of the game will be followed, with the addition of my own new scenes, additional dialogue and thoughts. I've tried not to change much, except the nature of Cloud and Tifa's relationship. Each chapter will start in the present (which is just after the ending of _Final Fantasy VII: Advent Children_) and continue on in chronological flashbacks to the events of the game. I used this method in one of my _Lord of the Rings_ stories ("Destined to Reign"…that's my shameless plug, ha-ha) and it kept things interesting, almost like two stories in one. The flashbacks in the first three chapters center on their childhood.  
2) The story is entirely from Tifa's point of view as she recalls the events in her life. Since Tifa wasn't present in every scene of the game, I've omitted the ones she wasn't in and tried to incorporate the missing details in dialogue in order to cover everything that happened and hopefully not miss anything critical to the storyline.  
3) When I make reference to the "AVALANCHE days" in dialogue or in Tifa's thoughts, it refers to the timeframe in the game when the team is pursuing Sephiroth.

**Author's Warnings  
**1) Lots of colorful, graphic language; not just from Barret and Cid.  
2) References to sexual activity and some sexual content, but nothing too explicit (unless I get a lot of requests to write more explicit) – for now, rated T  
3) Contains _Final Fantasy VII_ game spoilers and _Advent Children_ movie spoilers.

**Resources  
**_Final Fantasy VII: The Game (game script and video walkthrough on Youtube created by "7503")  
__Final Fantasy VII: Last Order (animated movie scenes and dialogue)  
__Final Fantasy VII: Crisis Core (game script)  
__Final Fantasy VII: Advent Children (CG movie)_

**

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Chapter 1

**MIDGAR RUINS – the present**

Did I dare hope that life could finally go back to normal?

Quite honestly, I didn't even know what normal was anymore. Things had been crazy for me ever since I was eight years old, when my mother died. It was one thing after another, bringing me to the here and now…to this point in my life. I knew I'd have to make a decision soon though…either continue the way things were or just get out before I lost the last bit of sanity left in me.

I watched the children cheerfully splash in the water that filled the broken floor of the church. Aeris's church…The water filling the large hole was graced with the healing components to cure the black splotches caused by the Geostigma virus, the latest threat to humanity.

Marlene was among the laughing children. In the last few days, I noticed she had really become attached to Denzel during his illness. I knew the two children would grow closer now that the threat was finally over and it was a good thing for her to have someone closer to her age that she could relate to.

Not far away stood the rest of the ex-AVALANCHE team.

While Vincent looked on with his usual indifference, Barret and Cid were light-heartedly teasing Yuffie on the appropriate use of Elemental materia. Apparently the young ninja from Wutai thought she knew everything there was to know about the colorful orbs she liked to pilfer from the rest of us. Cait Sith was straddled on the back of Nanaki's neck. The mechanical cat controlled by ex-Shinra employee Reeve Tuesti, was incapable of moving around on its own without a moogle. Nanaki, the big, one-eyed beast of Cosmo Canyon, often called Red by some of us, decided to let his mechanical companion take up residence on his scruffy red mane. They actually looked cute together.

Despite the terrible events that brought our humanity-saving team back together, I was glad to see us reunited. It wasn't often we got the chance to hang out and talk about the old days. Well, not really old…it was only a couple of years since we fought for a common cause and were known throughout the world as the anti-Shinra _terrorist_ organization. Of course, that all changed when we proved our worth and stopped Meteor. We became heroes literally overnight.

One other member of the team was also present.

Cloud Strife sat on a fallen pillar on the other side of the makeshift pool, his Mako-enhanced eyes staring at nothing in particular. It was his choice to sit alone, away from the rest of us as we celebrated our victory. He should have been celebrating with us because he was responsible for single-handedly defeating the recently resurrected madman known as Sephiroth, along with his three clones, Kadaj, Yazoo and Loz.

But I knew Cloud well enough to know he didn't particularly like all the attention. It wasn't always like this, though. For the longest time, he strove to be noticed and respected and to be considered a hero. He'd grown much quieter in the last couple of years after AVALANCHE split up to go back to daily life. I blamed it on the fact that there was nothing for him to do but dwell on the degenerative guilt eating away at him for things he couldn't have prevented. Everything seemed to be his responsibility and he paid the price for what he considered his failures.

I could see it in his eyes. Pain…despair…loneliness…I wanted to take it all away. But I just didn't know how to reach him…or whether he would even let me. There wasn't any doubt in my mind that he cared about his friends and anything that happened to us. He just forgot how to show it.

Cloud and I had been friends since childhood. We shared something many people wished they could have. We had been through thick and thin together. There were times I felt so close to him and yet other times it was like we were on completely different continents. Other than anger and pessimism, Cloud had never been able to express his feelings very well, even when we were kids. He fought the deadliest monsters without fear, faced our mortal enemies in intense battles…but he was too afraid to tell me how he felt about us. Whether there even was an 'us'.

When we were little, back in Nibelheim, he always got into fights with the neighborhood bullies. They teased him a lot for being so small and he was always trying to prove himself, hence part of the reason for his excessive insecurity. There was also a time when the confusion in his head had him believing he was something else.

Even though Cloud acted strange sometimes, I got used to it. It was a small wonder he was able to function at all on his own. He was so naïve in a very innocent way and it really wasn't his fault. He never got a chance to grow up in a normal way, so he often didn't have the right common sense to deal with people and feelings and emotions. I tended to correct him in the gentlest ways possible, knowing he was very sensitive about his own ignorance. But sometimes he'd get me so frustrated, I didn't know whether to hug him for innocently being so dense or slap him for knowing better and acting so stupid.

During the hardships and struggles we faced throughout our history together, we always seemed to find a way to heal each other both physically and mentally every step of the way. No matter what idiotic mistakes we made in our lives or harsh words we spoke to one another in anger, we would always forgive and forget every time.

My heart ached for Cloud…it ached for what could have been. I loved him so much it hurt. He knew it, too. Sometimes I thought there was something there…in his eyes…a spark of interest that transcended friendship. But as quickly as it appeared…it was gone. As if it never existed. I was pretty sure he avoided the subject because he cared about me too much to hurt my feelings. He just didn't realize that his lack of acknowledgement was killing me even more.

I was faced with an internal struggle every single time I looked at him. My dilemma was whether or not I had the willpower to walk away. And if I didn't, then what made me think I had enough mental strength to survive each day in his presence…to continue on a path that led to nowhere.

Was I doomed to be just a _friend_ to him?

I often thought back on the years I had known Cloud…beginning with the first day I met him. What could I have done to change things? If I had interfered more resolutely in some of his decisions, would things be different today?

**

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**

NIBELHEIM – the past

I was only six when Cloud and his mother moved into the neighborhood from across town. At first I thought he was strange looking, with his wild, spiky blonde hair sticking out in every direction. He was so small that I thought he was a lot younger, but I soon discovered he was actually about nine months older than me.

If it hadn't been for my dog getting away from me, I didn't think I would have ever approached Cloud at all.

"Hunter, come back here!" I yelled and chased after my undisciplined yellow dog.

Hunter ran up to the peculiar looking boy carrying a box toward the house right next door to mine. My dog bowled the small kid over and everything in the box went flying onto the lawn.

I ran over to grab Hunter by the collar as he licked the boy's face. "Sorry about that," I said timidly.

But the boy didn't seem to be upset about my dog knocking the box out of his hands. In fact, he sat on the grass and let Hunter lick his face. "It's okay. He's really cool. What's his name?"

"Hunter." I watched him scratch behind my dog's ears. "I'm Tifa. I live over there, right next door."

"My name's Cloud." He finally got up and went to pick up the things that fell out of his box; a trophy, a bicycle helmet and a bunch of comic books. "I'm almost done helping my mom. Wanna play a game?"

Before I had the chance to respond, a familiar voice yelled out behind me.

"Hey, Tifa!"

I turned around, seeing Tommy, Sam and Charlie walk over. "Hey, guys, this is Cloud. He just moved in."

The three boys looked tentatively at Cloud and then suddenly started laughing and making rude comments.

"What's with the stupid name?"

"Was the barber drunk when he cut your hair?"

"Where'd you get those shoes…Dorks R Us?"

I didn't laugh along because I could tell Cloud didn't like what they were saying.

"Let's go play at the well," Tommy finally said as he pulled me away from Cloud. When Hunter started barking at him, Tommy jumped out of the dog's reach. "Shut up, you stupid dog!"

Before I walked off with the three boys, I tied Hunter to the lamp post, knowing my mother would eventually bring him inside. Halfway down the block, I turned back and saw Cloud petting my dog, a sad look on his face.

Even though I didn't like what Tommy and the others said to Cloud, at the time I was too young to know any better. They were the popular kids and just hanging out with them made me feel important.

**

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**

NIBELHEIM – the past

During the next couple of years, Cloud seemed to ignore everyone's smart-ass remarks, but I could tell they still bothered him. He pretended not to care. Whenever I looked back on those days, I wondered if he ever cried when he was alone in his room. And if he didn't, then maybe it was quite possibly the catalyst that caused him to keep his emotions bottled up inside.

As much as he pretended not to care about what others said about him, Cloud still had his pride and he fought for it. He was constantly getting into fistfights. At least ten times a month, he'd leave school with a battered face, a bloody nose and a proud grin on his face over the damage he inflicted on the rival of the day.

As for me, I was torn between my friendship with Cloud and my popularity at school. It was so stupid, when I think about it now. I was only eight years old. Why had popularity been so important to me back then? Each time I ignored Cloud at school, I knew it hurt him. But he never questioned me, never argued that I didn't choose to be with him over the boys that made his life miserable. He seemed to be content with the brief moments we secretly spent in each other's company, even if all we did was sit around in his room and quietly read his comic books.

**

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**

MT NIBEL – the past

My mother died when I was eight and afterward I did a very stupid thing. For some unknown reason, I felt a strong desire to go to Mt Nibel. Even though it was winter time and I knew the mountain pass were extremely treacherous when it snowed, I went anyway.

Tommy, Charlie and Sam came with me, betting that I wouldn't be brave enough to cross the bridge by myself. The four of us stopped at the beginning of the path that led to the mountain.

"I wonder what's beyond that mountain." I asked myself. My father warned me of the dangers. Maybe a part of me was afraid to know, but the other part was curious about the secrets that lay on the other side.

"Mt Nibel is scary," Charlie said. "Lots of people died there. No one crosses that mountain alive..."

"What about those that died?" Somehow I was convinced that my mother would be waiting for me on the other side. The winds seemed to be howling my name, beckoning me to keep moving. "Mama passed through the mountain." I walked forward. "I'm going!"

"Let's go," said Tommy.

Sam shook his head. "Not me."

Tommy and Charlie followed behind me while Sam ran back the way we came.

When we got to the bridge, I continued forward while the other two boys hesitated.

I glanced back to see if they were going to come with me, but then they both turned and ran the other way. That's when I saw Cloud. He had been following us.

"Tifa, wait!" Cloud yelled. "Stop!"

I ignored his warning and kept moving across the bridge. When I reached the other side, I ran forward and slipped on the ice, sending me toward the edge of the cliff. As I fell my fingers caught on a branch sticking out of the ledge, but I couldn't pull myself back up. "Cloud! Help me!"

Cloud ran across the bridge and reached the spot where I had fallen. He laid down on his stomach and extended his hand toward me. "Grab my hand!"

I was afraid to let go of the branch I clung to.

"Come on, Tifa! Grab my hand!"

That's when the branch broke. I watched it like it was happening in slow motion. There wasn't anything I could do about it.

"Tifa!" Cloud reached further, trying to grab my hand, but he slid off the edge and we both fell. The last thing I remembered was hitting something solid before blacking out.

**

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**

NIBELHEIM – the past

I woke up and found myself lying in a hospital bed. My father was sitting beside me and jumped out of the chair when he realized I was awake.

"Papa…why am I here?"

"You've been…in a coma for the last seven days." He moved closer and hugged me tightly. "I didn't think you were going to come out of it."

I remained quiet in his arms. The only other time I had ever seen my father cry was when my mother passed away a couple weeks ago.

"I couldn't bear the thought of losing you…not after…" he wailed.

I knew he was talking about my mother. It would have destroyed him to lose both of us in such a short period of time.

A few minutes later, my father finally released me and wiped his eyes. "I'm going to talk to the doctor. He'll probably want to look at you before he'll allow you to come home with me." He caressed my cheek and left the room.

As I laid in the hospital bed staring up at the ceiling, I remembered everything that happened. Slipping and falling…and Cloud. What happened to Cloud?

Just as I wondered if he had been hurt, the door slowly opened a bit, revealing the boy I worried about.

I sat up. "Cloud! You're all right!"

He sheepishly walked to the side of my bed, scratching the back of his head. "Are you okay?"

"I just woke up, but I think I'm okay. You didn't get hurt?"

Cloud sat down on the chair where my father had been sitting and he raised his baggy shorts to reveal his knees. They were scabbed. "Just my knees." He looked up at me. "Why did you go there, Tifa? Why did you cross the bridge?"

I looked down, recalling the reason I risked my life and nearly died because of it. "I…I… thought I would find mama…on the other side of the mountain."

"There's nothing there but a Shinra Reactor."

"How do you know? Have you seen it?"

"No, but…it's what I heard."

Despite it all, I felt bad about what happened. If Cloud had been hurt worse than just scabbed knees, I never would have forgiven myself. "Thanks for coming to my rescue, Cloud."

"I didn't help. You still fell."

I shrugged. "But you still came."

The door opened and my father stepped back into the room. When he saw Cloud sitting there, his expression darkened. "What're you doing here?"

Cloud's eyes widened and he jumped to his feet.

"I thought I told you to stay away from Tifa. You nearly got her killed!"

"Papa, no…it wasn't Cloud," I tried to explain.

He stalked forward and chased Cloud out of the room. Then he turned back to me. "Don't you ever talk to that boy again! He's nothing but trouble!"

"It wasn't his fault, papa."

"I don't want to see you anywhere near him! Do you understand?"

I probably should have made a stronger argument to defend Cloud, but I knew it would be impossible. When my father got something in his head, there was just no way to shake it. I was angry with him for preventing me from seeing Cloud, but thinking back on it, my father was just being overprotective because I was all he had left after my mother was gone.

I thought maybe my father scared Cloud off for good, but the first night I was back home after spending three more days in the hospital, I heard something pinging off my bedroom window. I drew the curtains aside and found Cloud standing at his window which faced mine.

After I pushed the window open, Cloud smiled and held up a handful of raw corn. It's what he used to toss at my window to get my attention. "You're home. You must be feeling better."

I leaned on my window. "Cloud, I'm sorry about what papa said to you."

He shrugged. "It's okay. I just don't want you to be mad at me."

In actuality I thought Cloud would have been mad that my father told him to stay away from me. "Why would I be mad?"

"Everyone said it was my fault."

"But it wasn't."

"It's okay if I can't talk to you whenever there are other people around. I don't mind because I can still talk to you when we're by ourselves."

"So we're still friends?"

He smiled. "Yeah."

I often wondered why he still wanted to be friends with me. My father threatened him; none of the kids in the neighborhood played with him; he wasn't popular in school…maybe that was it then. He really had no one else who wanted to hang out with him. I was the only true friend he had.

I vowed to spend more time with Cloud, against my father's wishes, of course. No one was going to tell me to stay away from him.

* * *

Well, here's the first chapter...finally. This has taken me a long time to put together and it's actually almost done. I will post a new chapter every other day. If that's too fast, let me know and I'll slow it down to once a week. Your feedback is greatly appreciated, so please leave a review.


	2. Chapter 2

**Author's Note **– _Hello everyone. This chapter's a bit long because I wanted to fit in as much of Tifa and Cloud's childhood as I could. This is all new material…my version of their relationship. In the game, somewhere toward the end, we learn that Cloud and Tifa weren't actually that close when they were kids. I've changed that…you'll see. Still rated T._

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Chapter 2

**MIDGAR – the present**

As it started to get dark outside, people began to leave the church.

Cid was taking Vincent, Yuffie, Cait Sith and Red with him on his airship, while Barret offered to drive Denzel, Marlene and I back home in his truck.

My main concern centered on the young man sitting by himself. Would Cloud continue to live here in the church that once belonged to Aeris Gainsborough? "Let me check with Cloud," I told Barret as he herded the two kids out the door. I walked over to where Cloud was still sitting on the broken column. "We're going home now, Cloud."

Cloud looked up with a startled expression, as if he had forgotten that anyone else was around.

"Are you staying here?" I asked him.

"Uh…no. No, I'm going home, too."

Just the way he said _home_ made a chill shoot up my spine. "Okay."

He got up and stretched his legs before heading toward the door.

"Are your clothes still wet?"

He reached down to touch his trousers and then his sweater vest. "No. They're dry now."

We walked out of the church together.

In Barret's truck, the five of us were squeezed together in the cabin seat because there was no back seat. It took about five minutes to get to the spot where Cloud had left Fenrir before he started his fight with Kadaj earlier in the day.

"Can I ride with you, Cloud?" asked Denzel with a hopeful look on his face.

Cloud gave me a brief glance before turning to the boy, as if he was looking for my approval. "Yeah, sure," he said before getting out of the truck with Denzel.

I stuck my head out the window and watched Cloud mount first before Denzel hopped on behind him. "Cloud…"

He nodded. "I know. Don't worry. I'll take it easy." He started the engine and pulled away.

Barret followed behind the motorcycle and we all headed out of the ruins of Midgar toward Edge.

I gasped a few times when Denzel let go of Cloud and excitedly raised his arms in the air. I thought the twelve year old would fall off the back of the motorcycle for sure, even though I was certain Cloud would never let that happen. Marlene thought it was hysterical and she kept laughing and clapping her hands.

"Think Spikey's gonna be awright now?" Barret suddenly asked.

I turned to him with a brief shrug, knowing he was referring to Cloud. "I hope so."

"Is Cloud still sick?" Marlene cut in. "Why would he not be all right?"

I wasn't sure how to explain to Marlene that we weren't talking about Cloud's physical condition. More like his state of mind. Even Barret knew it was questionable lately. But not in a dangerous way, though. "No, honey, Cloud isn't sick anymore. He was cured of Geostigma, just like Denzel." I gave Barret a brief shake of my head, hoping he'd interpret it as now was not a good time to talk about Cloud.

"I yelled at him," Marlene solemnly confessed.

I gave her a curious smile. Marlene was known to lose her temper a lot, but her anger had never been directed at Cloud. She idolized him. "Really? When was this?" I asked.

"Yesterday, when he came to rescue me and Denzel from those weird men with the silver hair. I yelled at him because he told Vincent to take me home."

"What exactly did you say to him?"

"I said, why can't you pay more attention to us…" She looked worried. "I think he didn't like me yelling at him because he changed his mind and took me home himself. Do you think he's still mad at me?"

"Of course not. Cloud would never be mad at you. In fact, I think you actually pulled him out of his slump."

Marlene's face scrunched up into a frown. "He was in a slump?"

I had yelled at Cloud too for wanting to just give up. If there was one thing I could say about Cloud, he took to heart everything that was said to him, even though he vehemently denied certain things sometimes. "His illness made him lose confidence in his abilities. He didn't think he could help any of us if we were in danger."

Marlene rolled her eyes in a very adult-like manner. "He's so weird sometimes."

Barret and I exchanged an amused glance.

"You got that right, baby," Barret told Marlene.

"I think he likes Denzel more than me," she said while watching Cloud and Denzel ahead of us.

"Why do you think that?" I asked.

"When I rode on the back of his motorcycle earlier, Cloud didn't drive very fast. Not like now."

I smiled. "No, I think he cares about you so much that he didn't want to risk you falling off."

She smiled. "You think so?"

Barret snorted. "That or he knows I'd kill his ass if anything happened to my little girl."

Marlene was horrified. "No, papa! Don't kill him!"

I shot Barret a disgruntled glare when he simply chuckled without reassuring his daughter that he had no intention of hurting Cloud.

**

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MT NIBEL – the past

I was eleven the first time Cloud and I experienced a brief moment of physical attraction.

Since we weren't allowed to hang out together, Cloud and I snuck out a lot to the hot springs at the foot of Mt Nibel. Even though there was snow on the ground, the water stayed warm and we went swimming lots of times in the summer months.

I swung my feet back and forth through the water as we sat side by side on the edge of the bank. "I saw Charlie kissing Becky at school today."

Cloud turned to me. "Really?"

"They didn't see me walking by. I almost started laughing."

"Boy, that Charlie is so stupid. He's gonna get in a lot of trouble."

"Have you ever kissed anyone, Cloud?"

He looked at me again, his cheeks growing slightly pink. "No. Have you?"

I realized my own cheeks were heating up. "No…not yet."

"Whatta you mean, not yet? You plan on it sometime soon?"

I shrugged. "I dunno."

"You wouldn't know what to do," he teased.

"I suppose you know?"

"Yeah, I saw it on television."

"Well, I saw it on television, too. How hard can it be?"

He shrugged indifferently. "Who knows?"

I suddenly leaned toward him and gave him a quick kiss on the lips.

He immediately drew back in surprise. "Hey! Why'd you do that?"

"I wanted to know what it felt like."

He wiped his mouth with the back of his hand. "Yuck!"

I giggled. "Can I do it again?"

Cloud quickly pulled away. "No!" Then he pointed a serious finger at my nose. "And don't go kissing anybody else."

"Well, if someone wants to kiss me, why shouldn't I let them?"

"Because I said so and because I'll be forced to punch them in the face.

**

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MT NIBEL – the past

It wasn't until three years later that I grew bolder around Cloud. Maybe it was my raging teenaged hormones. Or maybe I was beginning to like him more than I thought possible, or cared to admit.

Cloud had a dirt bike so I hopped on behind him and we went to hang out at the hot springs one afternoon. It was really the only place we could go where no one would see us together and report back to my father.

I packed a lunch for us earlier and while Cloud spread a blanket on the ground, I pulled out our sandwiches and sodas. We ate first and chatted about school and what we were going to do during summer break. Afterward we took off our shoes and socks and rolled up our pants. Sitting side by side on the bank as we often did, we both stuck our feet in the warm water.

"It's really nice and warm today," I crooned.

"I thought it would be colder," said Cloud after a few minutes. "We should have worn our swimsuits under our clothes."

"You know what would be so cool?" I asked.

"What?"

Without answering, I stood up and started to undress.

He stared at me in surprise. "Tifa, what're you doing?"

I took everything off, including my underwear and he stared blankly at me. "What's the matter, Cloud? Haven't you ever seen a naked girl before?"

He shrugged, his eyes involuntarily darting around certain places on my body. "What're you talking about? I've seen plenty of them." I knew he was lying. He never hung out with anyone but me.

Strangely, standing naked in front of him like that made me feel tingly inside, so I quickly turned and jumped into the water.

After a few minutes of swimming around, I swam up to Cloud and tickled his feet under the water.

"Hey!" he yelled and pulled his feet up. "Cut it out!"

"Come in the water, Cloud. It feels really nice."

"I don't think so."

"Don't be such a coward."

"I'm not a coward. I just don't wanna get my clothes wet."

"So take them off."

"Yeah, right."

"I did."

"I'm not you," he replied with scorn.

I giggled.

"What're you laughing at?"

"You." I giggled again. "You don't want me to see your penis."

He splashed water at me with his foot. "Shut up."

I continued laughing as I swam around the small pool and I thought it was so cute how he was trying not to look at me, but I knew he was watching.

"Are you looking at me, Cloud?"

He quickly looked away. "No."

I giggled. "Yes, you were. I saw you looking."

His cheeks grew red. "Well, I can't help it!" He angrily got up and walked away to sit on the blanket.

We were still young and clueless, not really understanding the physical attraction between boys and girls our age. Cloud seemed a lot more embarrassed about it than me, but he never really shared his thoughts much, not like I did. Whenever I pointed out a boy I thought was cute and wanted to date, Cloud gave me a disgusted glare and said he didn't care what I did.

Maybe it was cruel of me to rile him up like that, knowing he'd be upset if I dated any of the boys he couldn't stand.

**

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**

NIBELHEIM – the past

It had always been my plan to lose my virginity before I turned sixteen. Being so young, I was very impressionable when it came to peer pressure. All of my friends, who were girls, had already gone all the way. But I wasn't going to be with just anybody. It had to be with someone I trusted.

A few weeks after my fifteenth birthday, I thought it might actually happen. It was around 7:00pm on a Saturday when I heard something hitting my window. I knew it was Cloud calling me out. I pushed the drapes aside and slid the window up.

Cloud was leaning out of his window. "Where'd your dad go? I saw him leaving town."

"He's going to the Gold Saucer for a couple of days."

"Wanna do something?" he asked.

"I'm going to a party at Loren's house tonight. Her parents are in Mideel for the weekend."

"Oh." He looked disappointed.

"Do you wanna come?" I offered.

He sighed heavily. "Tifa, you know I can't stand any of your friends."

"I know, but I still want you to come."

"I really need to talk to you about something."

"Well, talk."

"Not here. Meet me at the well in ten minutes."

"Okay."

It took me a little longer than ten minutes because I couldn't decide what to wear to the party. I chose a blue dress that Cloud once said looked really nice on me, but I didn't know why it was more important that Cloud noticed me rather than anyone else at the party.

When I got to the well, Cloud was already there. "Sorry I'm late." I sat down on the edge of the platform, right beside him. "What did you want to talk to me about?"

"I'm going to Midgar."

"A lot of boys leave town when they turn sixteen." Cloud was actually a month and a half away from turning sixteen.

"No, I'm not just leaving to find a job. I want to join SOLDIER. I'm going to be the best, just like Sephiroth."

"Isn't it kinda hard to join SOLDIER?"

"Yeah. Training at the SOLDIER academy is pretty intense. I probably won't be able to come back to Nibelheim for awhile."

I suddenly realized he was being totally serious about this. It wasn't just a passing fancy, like most of his hair-brained ideas. "But why, Cloud? Why do you have to go?"

"It's just something I gotta do."

I tried to be optimistic, but selfishness consumed me. All I could think about was how I couldn't manage without him. We did everything together. Even though I had a lot of friends, I liked hanging out with Cloud more than anyone else because with him I didn't have to pretend to be someone I wasn't. I could be myself, just like he could be himself with me. "This isn't fair."

"Well, it's not like I'll be gone forever. Just for a few years…depends on whether I get to go on missions and stuff."

"So you might be in the newspapers if you do something good?"

"I don't know. Maybe."

I turned to face him. "Make me a promise, Cloud. If you get really famous and I'm ever in trouble…you'll come save me."

His eyes shifted to mine. "What?"

"If I need help, my hero will come and rescue me. I want to experience it just once."

"I don't know about that, Tifa. Depends on where I am and what I'm doing."

"You wouldn't rescue your bestfriend?"

"Well, yeah…but…"

"Come on, promise me."

"All right…I promise."

"Well, at least we can hang out every day during summer break…until you have to leave in the fall."

He nervously scratched the back of his head. "I'm…I'm actually leaving sooner than that."

"Sooner? Like when?"

"Like tomorrow morning."

My jaw dropped. "Tomorrow? Why didn't you tell me sooner?"

"To be honest, I didn't think they were going to call me. But they did. I got the call this afternoon. I have to get to Midgar before classes start next week at the academy. Otherwise I have to wait a whole year."

I looked away because I felt tears beginning to sting my eyes.

"I'm sorry, Tifa. Please don't be mad."

I shook my head and wiped my eyes. "I'm not mad. I can tell this is important to you and I don't want to stand in the way."

Cloud slipped his hand around mine and we sat in silence for the next few minutes, each of us lost in our own thoughts.

Finally I looked up at him. "I have to get to the party."

He nodded.

"Please, come with me, Cloud."

"All right, but I wanna go home and change my clothes. I'll meet you there."

I leaned over and kissed him on the cheek before quickly getting up and walking to the ladder.

It was 10:30pm and Cloud still didn't come to Loren's house. I was beginning to think he wasn't going to show up at all. I wasn't sure if I was sad and upset because I knew he didn't like any of the kids at the party or because this was the last night I'd see him. Or maybe both.

"What's wrong, Tifa?" asked Sandy, one of my friends. "You're moping around like a lost puppy. Summer vacation starts in a couple of weeks. Let's celebrate!"

I shrugged and continued walking around. Everyone was laughing and drinking beer and playing games. I was the only one not having any fun.

Just then the front door opened and Cloud walked in. He walked into the room and everyone was looking at him. He ignored the glares and walked right up to me.

I couldn't control myself and wrapped my arms around him, hugging him tightly. "You came."

He slipped an arm around me in return. "Yeah. Sorry I'm late."

"It's okay. I'm just glad you're here." I pulled away and took his hand, dragging him into the kitchen. As I went into the refrigerator to get Cloud a beer, he grabbed a handful of potato chips in a bowl on the table.

"Thanks," he said as I handed him the beer. He took a long swig. "How'd Loren get the beer?"

"Tommy brought it over."

"The butthead's good for something afterall." He guzzled the entire bottle in less than a minute.

I laughed. "Thirsty?"

He smiled. "Yeah, I guess so."

"Wanna dance?" I asked.

His eyes widened. "No!"

I took his hand again and led him out of the kitchen. We mingled with some of my friends. He didn't let go of my hand the entire time. He looked extremely uncomfortable around everyone, but I knew he tolerated them for me.

An hour later someone got the bright idea to turn off almost all the lights and play soft music. Everyone paired up and started dancing.

I rejected several offers to dance and quickly went looking for Cloud. He had gone to the bathroom a few minutes ago and I was afraid he might have snuck out the window.

Just as I approached the bathroom door, it opened and Cloud stepped out.

"There you are," I said.

"What's going on?" he asked as he looked over my shoulder. "Why're all the lights out?"

"Everyone's dancing."

Cloud poked his head around the corner before turning back to me. "So you wanna dance?"

"But you don't like to dance."

"I can dance to this." He didn't wait for me to respond. He took my hand and pulled me out into the den.

After Cloud maneuvered around everyone to a clear spot, I put my arms around his neck and he folded his arms around my waist.

Even in the darkness, I could see the rude glares aimed in his direction. Every single person in this room knew there was a special place in my heart for Cloud. They probably didn't understand why I hung out with him, just as I didn't understand why no one liked him. It was true, Cloud could be a bit rough around the edges sometimes, but there was a valid reason for it. He didn't trust anyone. No matter how nice he tried to be, things always came back to bite him in the ass. So he adopted the silent treatment around others…except me.

I squeezed my arms tighter around him, pulling him closer. This would be the last night I'd see him for a long time. In the morning he'd leave for Midgar. It was my last chance to leave a lasting impression on my bestfriend.

It was dark in the room, but I could see him clearly. My eyes drifted to his mouth. It was hanging a little open. I could kiss him. But would he be receptive, especially with everyone around to see? I moved my lips to his cheek and kissed him there. As I drew back a bit, Cloud turned his face toward me, our noses brushing. I felt his warm breath against my lips and before I could change my mind, I closed the gap between us and kissed him.

Cloud froze. At first I thought he'd pull away. But then he started kissing me back. I felt his tongue touch my lips, trying to coax them apart. My stomach fluttered pleasantly as I obliged him. He opened his mouth and lined it with mine before dipping his tongue inside. Our tongues touched and stroked timidly. This was the first time either of us had ever kissed…each other or anyone else.

I moaned as we kissed harder. Butterflies danced around in my stomach and an irresistible heat built inside me. So this was what it felt like…to be turned on, overwhelmed to the point of wanting nothing more than to be lost in each other forever. Forgetting everyone, forsaking traditions and morals. It couldn't be possible with just anyone. I didn't feel like this with anyone else but Cloud.

After several minutes of tongue and lip sucking, licking and nibbling, I pulled away to breathe and his mouth moved to my ear.

"Tifa…you're driving me crazy," he whispered before moving to my mouth again.

"You have got to be kidding me!" said someone beside us.

Cloud drew away from me as he turned to face Tommy.

Tommy was a head taller than Cloud and he liked to show it off. "Tifa, what're you doing kissing this loser?"

Everyone stopped dancing and all eyes were on us. Someone even turned the lights back on.

Cloud didn't back down as Tommy stood less than an inch from his face. "You really gotta do something about your breath," he told Tommy.

Tommy didn't find Cloud's comment very funny. "I don't remember inviting you, Loser."

"I invited him," I rushed to say.

"I thought you had better taste than that." Tommy pushed Cloud roughly.

Cloud fell backward, everyone quickly moving out of the way and no one helping to break his fall. He got up instantly and with clenched his teeth he started moving toward Tommy.

"What're you trying to do, get your ass kicked?" yelled Tommy.

I jumped in front of Cloud. "Cloud, no!"

Tommy continued yelling behind me. "Why don't you take your puny carcass outta here before you get hurt, Peewee!"

Cloud pushed me out of the way as he faced Tommy. "Shut up! Shut up, you stupid shit!"

"You'll never be anything in this town, Strife. Get it through your Chocobo head."

"Yeah? Well, I'm joining SOLDIER and I'm coming back to beat you to within an inch of your life!"

Tommy started laughing and so did several others.

Cloud looked around, like he was ready to take on everyone in the room. "You'll see!"

I grabbed his arm and pulled him away. "Let's get out of here, Cloud."

He didn't resist as I pulled him toward the door.

Tommy kept laughing. "You really think you're gonna make it in SOLDIER. That'll never happen. Those guys'll make you their little errand boy. Or maybe you'll be their pansy-ass bitch!"

For the very first time in my life, I completely lost it. I left Cloud standing at the door and walked up to Tommy. Everyone in the room fell silent when I slapped Tommy across the face. "You disgust me!" I couldn't even look at any of my so-called friends as I walked out with Cloud.

"You realize you made me look like a chicken shit just now," said Cloud after a minute as we walked back toward our houses. "Like I can't fight my own battles. Why'd you stop me, Tifa?"

"Because I'm tired of seeing you walking around with black eyes and bruises on your face."

"I'll show him. I'll show all of them."

"Show them what?"

"I'll come back a First Class SOLDIER. No one's going to laugh at me then. They'll be too scared to laugh at me."

"Cloud, I thought you didn't care what anyone thought."

"I…I don't."

I took his hand and smiled. "Come on. Let's go."

When we got to my house, we went upstairs to my bedroom.

As he usually did when my father wasn't home to catch him in the house, Cloud plopped himself down on my bed. "So whatta you wanna do?" he asked.

I shrugged as I took off my jewelry in front of my dresser.

"Play video games?"

I shook my head. "Kinda late for that."

"Watch TV?"

I shook my head again.

"What then?"

I walked to the bed and hopped up on top of him, straddling his stomach with a smile. "I wanna fool around."

Cloud looked up at me, a red tint forming on his fair cheeks. "We better not, Tifa."

I bent down and kissed him, relieved to feel him kissing me back. "Why not?"

"Because we're alone and we might get carried away." But he wasn't stopping. He kept right on kissing me back.

"I wanna get carried away," I said as I kissed his face.

Even though he was small, he was still stronger than me. He flipped me over on my back. "No, you don't."

"Yes, I do. You're going away, Cloud. Who else am I going to be with for the first time?"

Cloud frowned and rolled away from me, laying down on his back again. "Tifa, please don't pressure me. I'm not ready. I might lose control."

I turned on my side to face him, watching him stare up at the ceiling. It was obvious he had his concerns about having sex. Or maybe it was me he didn't want to be with. "You don't want me?"

He turned his face toward me and reached for my hand. "You're joking, right?" When I didn't reply, he scooted closer to me. "You have no idea how bad I wanna be with you, Tifa. Sometimes it's all I can think about."

"Then what's the problem?"

"There's no problem. It's just…I've never been with anyone before."

"Well, neither have I."

"That's just it, Tifa. I don't want our first time to be a disaster."

What an amazingly thoughtful thing for him to say. I knew Cloud was shy when it came to these things and it really wasn't fair of me to pressure him into doing something he wasn't ready for. "Okay. You'll come back home soon. I'll just wait for you."

"Really?" He seemed surprised. "You promise?"

"Of course, you silly boy. Will you promise to wait for me?"

He scrunched his face in deep thought. "Well, I'll be living at the academy with other guys my age and going out to bars and parties. I might succumb to peer pressure, you know?"

I stared at him with my mouth open. When a smile curled the side of his lips, I knew he was joking. I slapped his arm and he grabbed me by the waist, tickling me mercilessly. It was a good thing my father wasn't home, or he would have come running upstairs with the way I was screaming.

Unfortunately I didn't get to follow through with my plans to lose my virginity, but I was happy that Cloud spent the night with me anyway so I wasn't by myself in the house. We made out for a little while, keeping our clothes on and playing it safe the way he wanted.

In the morning, I walked with Cloud and his mother to the bus station. He turned to his mother first.

She smiled warmly at Cloud as tears filled her eyes. "You're growing up so fast."

"Not fast enough," he replied.

"Please, be careful," she said as she put her hands on his face and then pulled him into a hug.

After she released him, Cloud turned to me. "Stay out of trouble, Lockhart."

I playfully punched his arm before hugging him. "I'll miss you."

"Yeah, me too." He looked like he wanted to kiss me, but not in front of his mother.

A few minutes later Cloud grabbed his duffle bag and climbed into the bus. He waved to us from the window as the bus pulled away.

Cloud's mother put an arm around my shoulder. "I tried to talk him out of it, but I think it's important that he goes."

"I know, but he didn't have to go so soon. Couldn't he have waited one more year?"

"He'll be back, sweetie. You'll see."

Back then I actually had a strange feeling in the pit of my stomach, like a foreboding of something terrible to come. At the time I didn't realize it would come true. Maybe if I had gone with my gut instinct, I might have been able to convince Cloud not to go. Or maybe not. If his own mother couldn't talk him out of going, what made me think I could have? And besides, preventing Cloud from joining SOLDIER wouldn't have stopped Sephiroth from burning Nibelheim to the ground.

_

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_

Please review. I'd like to know your opinions and views so I can improve on the story as needed. Also, I said I was going to update every other day. This chapter's already two days late, so I'm not off to a good start. But I'll do better next time.


	3. Chapter 3

_**Author's Note**__ – The flashback in this chapter is actually shown later on in the game, but I wanted to maintain the continuity of Tifa's childhood memories, so I moved it up and added a few of my own tidbits. See if you can spot them._

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Chapter 3

**EDGE – the present**

Fifteen minutes later Barret pulled the truck up in front of Seventh Heaven while Cloud drove around to the back where he normally parked Fenrir.

"Thanks for the ride, Barret," I said before hopping out of the truck. I waited for Marlene to give her adopted father a hug and a kiss.

"I'll be back in a couple days to check on ya, Marlene."

"Okay, papa." Marlene gave him another kiss and then joined me on the sidewalk to watch the truck pull away.

I took Marlene's hand and together we walked around to the back of the building where Cloud and Denzel were waiting for us by the back door.

"I'm hungry," announced Denzel as we all walked inside and into the kitchen.

"Me, too," said Marlene.

"How about peanut butter and jelly sandwiches?" I suggested. When the kids cheered, I got to work on making the sandwiches. "But then it's off to bed. It's late and you both need to go to school in the morning."

Both of the kids groaned in unison at the mention of school.

Cloud came up behind me and reached around to stick his finger in the peanut butter and jelly jar.

"Do you want one, Cloud?" I asked, knowing it was his favorite.

"No, I'm just gonna take a shower and go to bed." He stuck his finger in his mouth to lick off the peanut butter and jelly.

"Good idea. You look tired."

"Do I?" He didn't wait for my answer as he walked out of the kitchen.

I walked to the table to give Marlene and Denzel their sandwiches and sat down with them. As I watched them eat, I wondered if they fully understood what had happened in the last couple of days with Kadaj and the others. "So do you have any questions about the things you've seen yesterday and today? Anything you want to talk about?"

Denzel and Marlene both looked at one another, as if they were trying to maintain some secret pact between them.

Marlene was the first to respond as she turned back to me, a mouthful of peanut butter and jelly impeding her speech. "I have a question. Are you and Cloud ever going to get married?"

I had expected all kinds of questions about what Kadaj had been trying to do or what had happened to Cloud that brought him back to life after the explosion we all witnessed. Surprise wasn't a strong enough word to describe how I felt when Marlene asked me about marriage to Cloud. "Uh…married? No, we're not going to get married." I wasn't about to pour my broken heart out to these innocent children. They didn't need to know what was going on between Cloud and I.

"Why not?" Marlene asked, tilting her head in that innocent way that made me want to give her anything she wanted. It was the reason Barret spoiled her to death.

"Well, sweetie, Cloud and I are friends. We don't have the kind of relationship where two people get married."

"Why not?" she persisted.

I opened my mouth, but I couldn't think of a single intelligent thing to say. "I…I really can't…I can't answer that." I turned to Denzel and he had the same curious look as Marlene. "Okay, let me explain it this way. You and Denzel are friends, right? Well, that's how it is with me and Cloud. When you two grow up, I'm sure you'll still be friends."

Denzel finally spoke up. "Marlene and I decided we're getting married when we're old enough."

My eyebrows shot up under my bangs. "You mean…to each other?"

They both nodded.

I found this amusing. "Really…you've decided this all on your own."

"That's right."

"So what happens if both of you fall in love with other people by the time you're old enough to get married?"

"That won't ever happen," Marlene said with a shake of her head. "No way."

I smiled and pinched the bridge of my nose. Maybe it was better if I ended the conversation now before it took a turn toward uncomfortable territory. I definitely didn't want to be discussing sex with them. Marlene and Denzel had obviously put a lot of thought into their decision, but they really didn't have a clue what marriage was all about. "Alright, if you say so. Now finish up."

A few minutes later, I escorted the two upstairs to their bedroom and tucked them both in their individual beds. I kissed each one on the forehead before walking out of the room and closing the door behind me. A thought nagged at the back of my head…Marlene was eight and Denzel was twelve. In a couple years, if not sooner, I'd have to move one of them out of the room. They couldn't sleep in the same room forever, especially when they were already harboring thoughts about getting married to each other.

Just as I started to walk toward my bedroom, Cloud stepped out of the bathroom. He was wearing pajama bottoms and nothing else. I stopped just outside my door as he walked up. His hair was still wet and there were droplets of water trailing down his bare chest. "The kids are in bed," I redundantly told him. "They were so exhausted, they fell asleep instantly."

"I'll probably do the same. Goodnight, Tifa." He started to walk passed me.

I reached out to touch his arm. "Cloud?"

He stopped and turned to face me with an almost inaudible sigh. "I know what you're gonna say and I'm really sorry I didn't talk to you when I first found out I had Geostigma."

I shook my head. "No, that's not it." Before I could change my mind, I stepped up and slid my arms around his neck. I hugged him tightly, feeling the moisture from his damp chest seep into my teeshirt. Relief spread through me as he slowly put his arms around my back to return the hug. It seemed so long ago, the last time we held each other like this. The scent of his soap drifted into my nostrils as I pressed my face into his bare shoulder. "I'm just glad you came back. When I saw the explosion on the top of that building…I thought you were gone for sure this time."

Cloud released me when I started to pull away.

I looked down, not wanting him to see the tears starting to pool in my eyes at the very thought of losing him. "Goodnight, Cloud."

"Goodnight, Teef."

I looked up only when I knew he was halfway down the hall. He skipped down the three steps to the landing in front of his door. Then he walked into his room and closed the door behind him.

I wiped at my eyes, angry at myself for crying. This was a situation I couldn't control and I was feeling sorry for myself because I knew things weren't going to change. Cloud would still just think of me as a friend. It was apparent that he figured I had been there all along and would continue to be there whenever he needed something.

Whatever we used to share during our AVALANCHE days had been out of absolute necessity. For as much as I loved him, I never felt anything in return. It was like he just went through the motions to get it out of his system. He used me to satisfy whatever craving he had at the moment and I was as much to blame because I allowed it to happen…over and over. In my own mind I thought we'd end up together…Not just living together because we had to, but…living together because we wanted to…because we loved each other.

Cloud depended on me to do the everyday things he couldn't do on his own…like laundry or making dinner or paying bills. He always joked that without me he'd be wandering the streets, starved and wearing wrinkled, dirty clothes. I used to laugh at first when he joked about it. But after awhile, it just wasn't funny anymore.

**

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NIBELHEIM – the past

For the next three months since he left for the SOLDIER academy in Midgar, Cloud and I communicated back and forth, sending letters to each other. We didn't talk on the phone. I couldn't call him because he didn't have access to a phone and he never called me because he was afraid my father would answer.

I didn't have much to say in my letters to him, since life in Nibelheim was less than exciting. I just kept telling him how much I missed him and how bored I was without him.

Cloud, on the other hand, had a lot to say. He told me how difficult training was at the academy, but he was getting along pretty well with the others. One particular guy sort of took Cloud under his wing. His name was Zack Fair, a First Class SOLDIER. I was glad Cloud had someone looking out for him. Not that I was afraid he'd get himself in trouble, but at least he had someone to keep him company and he wasn't alone.

In his last letter to me, Cloud mentioned undergoing the first Mako injection, which was a requirement for becoming a SOLDIER.

_I asked the others and for some reason I was the only one that was knocked out for the injection. It hurt like hell when I came out of it. I felt strange, kind of like I was in a fog or something. But I think it enhanced my vision because I can see better and my eyes sort of glow in the dark. It's really weird. I'll have to show you next time I see you. Zack seems to think I was given more than one injection because vision isn't enhanced until after the fifth injection. He's probably making it up just to freak me out. He likes to pull pranks. Besides, why would Professor Hojo give me more than one shot? Who knows. Well, I better get back to studying for my exam tomorrow. Talk to you soon._

_Cloud _

_XXXOXXX_

Immediately after that, Cloud's letters suddenly stopped coming.

Six months passed and I still hadn't received another letter from Cloud. Even after I had sent him three more, asking him if he was alright. I didn't want to think that something bad had happened to him. I even asked his mother if she had heard from Cloud and her last letter from him was also six months ago.

One morning I heard my father talking on the phone, making arrangements for the arrival of several people from Shinra to check on the reactor on Mt Nibel. My father had recently been elected Governor and he often entertained Shinra personnel whenever they came to Nibelheim to use the old mansion on the outskirts of town. But I heard him mention SOLDIERs.

When he hung up the phone, he headed for the door.

"Papa, wait!"

He paused at the door as he opened it. "What is it, Tifa?"

"Shinra is sending SOLDIERs here?"

He took a moment to slip into his coat. "That's right. General Sephiroth will be arriving in two days. He'll be accompanied by another SOLDIER and two Shinra guards. I may have you serve as their guide to Mt Nibel. You wouldn't mind doing that for me, would you, Tifa?"

I grinned. "No, I wouldn't mind, papa." He knew I was climbing the walls with nothing to do now that school was out for the short spring break.

After he left, I bit my lower lip in excitement. The other SOLDIER had to be Cloud. This was his hometown. Surely they would send him on this mission so he could see his mother…and me.

**

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NIBELHEIM – the past

When the Shinra party arrived, Cloud was not among them. It was General Sephiroth and a SOLDIER with long, dark spiked hair, who introduced himself as Zack Fair. With them were two Shinra guards wearing helmets, but Zack didn't volunteer their names.

I couldn't hide my disappointment that Cloud didn't come. But maybe he hadn't been allowed to. The academy could have rules. I was certain he would have come if he could and he would have written to me about it.

I walked up to Zack. "Mr Fair, can I ask you something?"

Zack had a killer smile. "Babe, I'll do _anything_ you want."

The Shinra guard behind Zack's right shoulder bumped him with his rifle. I couldn't tell if it had been deliberate or by accident.

"As long as you call me Zack," he said before shooting the guard an amused look.

I knew why Cloud took a liking to him. Zack Fair looked to be the type that could charm venom out of a snake. "My friend Cloud told me all about you."

He briefly glanced over his shoulder to the Shinra guard again, who shifted nervously behind him. "Yeah? Good things, I hope."

I smiled back. "Yes, all good things." I sighed and looked down. "Can you tell me if he's alright? I haven't heard from him in awhile. Actually, I thought maybe he would have come here with you and General Sephiroth."

"You have nothing to worry about. Cloud's fine. As a matter of fact, he's…on a mission…right now."

On a mission elsewhere, obviously. "Oh. I see."

Zack gave me a wink. "But I'm pretty sure you'll hear from him soon."

I nodded. "Thanks." I turned as my father walked over.

"Listen to me, Sephiroth. In case something happens…"

The tall general with long, silver hair practically down to his ankles stood calmly in front of the others. "Trust me."

My father motioned me over. "This is my daughter, Tifa. She'll take you to Mt Nibel."

Sephiroth looked down at me. "She's our guide? I can't involve a child in something like this."

I frowned. "I'm not a child. I'm nearly sixteen."

Sephiroth turned to Zack and the others. "One of you will have to protect her. Let's go."

Someone came running up. It was Tommy. He had recently gotten a position working for the newspaper. "Umm…Mr. Sephiroth! Please, let me take one picture for a story I'm writing about you!"

To my complete surprise, the Shinra guard on Zack's right stuck his foot out, tripping Tommy and sending him flying face first into the dirt. I was almost positive it had been deliberate.

Tommy quickly regained his feet and glared at the guard. "Watch it, jerk off!"

The guard held his hands up innocently and shrugged.

I giggled at the mishap and decided I'd have to thank the guard later for tripping Tommy. Cloud would have been ecstatic, seeing Tommy humiliated that way.

Zack walked up and stood between me and Sephiroth.

Tommy took the picture. "Great, thank you! I'll give each of you a copy once I get it developed." He glared one last time at the Shinra guard that tripped him.

"We better get going," I said as I started walking up along the path beside the old Shinra mansion. It led to Mt Nibel.

Sephiroth exchanged a few words with his men and then the four of them began to follow behind me. The first thing I had noticed about General Sephiroth, whom I remembered was Cloud's idol, was the large sword the man carried. The thin blade was long and curved. It was definitely a weapon meant to cause fatal wounds.

Even though it was spring, the snow near the mountain never melted. It took nearly an hour just to get to the path leading to the bridge. I had taken this path several times with Cloud over the years, only because we wanted to overcome our fear ever since we had fallen.

I turned to the Shinra group. "The Reactor is on the other side of this hill. It gets harder from here so follow me."

When we got to the bridge, I noticed the ropes and wooden planks were completely iced over. "This isn't good," I muttered to myself.

"What's the problem?" asked Zack as he came to stand beside me.

"It's too dangerous to cross. We'll never make it."

Sephiroth pushed his way between us, stepping onto the bridge. "We're not stopping."

Zack shrugged and followed behind Sephiroth.

I started to walk forward, but one of the Shinra guards grabbed me by the hand. I tried to see through the visor of his helmet, but it was tinted. He stepped in front of me and pulled me along behind him, making sure the planks weren't going to break. It was the same guard who tripped Tommy. I recognized him from the way he had his sleeves rolled up passed his elbows.

Just as we reached the other side, the bridge suddenly snapped behind me and disappeared in the dense fog below.

"Everyone seems to be all right," announced Sephiroth. "Let's keep moving."

I pointed to the dark opening on the side of the hill. "These caves are intertwined, just like an ant farm." I glanced around, suddenly realizing that the other Shinra guard was missing. "Oh no! He's gone!"

Zack and the remaining Shinra guard both rushed to the edge and looked down into the dense fog below.

Sephiroth cleared his throat. "It may sound cold, but we've got no time to search for him. We can't go back now, so we must go on. Zack!"

"Yeah, yeah, I hear ya." Zack looked upset and I didn't blame him. How could Sephiroth not care about the man who had fallen to his death below?

We forged on into the cave.

Many years ago Cloud and I had discovered this cave and often spent time just sitting there, staring at the florescent green-colored water bubbling from a hole in the ground.

Zack walked up to the small pool of water. "What's this?"

"It must be the Mako energy," replied Sephiroth. "This place is abundant with it. It's probably why the Mako Reactor was built here."

"Isn't it beautiful?" I commented before turning to Sephiroth. "But if the Mako Reactor continues to suck up the energy, won't this fountain dry up soon?"

"Materia." The general's eyes were glowing an eerie green, almost the same color as the Mako energy in the pool. "When you condense Mako energy, materia is produced. It's very rare to be able to see it in its natural state."

I was about to comment on the fact that he didn't answer my question.

Zack scratched the back of his head. "How is it that materia has magical qualities to it?"

"You should have learned that in the SOLDIER academy, Zack," snorted Sephiroth. "The knowledge and wisdom of the Ancients is held in the materia. Anyone with this knowledge can freely use the powers of the Land and the Planet. That knowledge interacts between ourselves and the planet calling up magic…or so they say."

Zack looked transfixed by the fountain. "Magic…a mysterious power…"

Sephiroth chuckled.

"Did I say something funny?"

"A man once told me never to use an unscientific term such as 'mysterious power'. It shouldn't even be called 'magic'. I still remember how angry he was."

"Who was it?"

"Professor Hojo. An inexperienced man assigned to take over the work of a great scientist. He was a walking mass of complexities."

"Hey, whatever happened to Hojo anyway? He just suddenly disappeared."

Sephiroth briefly glanced toward the Shinra guard who stood quietly watching several feet away. "He discovered other prospects elsewhere in the company. Let's keep moving."

Shortly after the noon hour, we reached the massive Shinra Reactor.

I sighed. "We finally made it."

We climbed a long metal stairway.

"Tifa, you better wait here," said Zack.

"No, I'm going inside too! I wanna see!"

Sephiroth had a special key he used to unlock a panel. "Only authorized people are allowed inside," the General said in his calm tone. "This place is full of Shinra's industrial secrets." He punched a code on the keypad. The door unlocked.

I wanted to be part of what they were looking for. "But…!"

The general turned to the remaining Shinra guard. "Watch over the lady. Make sure she doesn't get passed this door."

The guard nodded.

After Sephiroth and Zack walked through the doorway, I glared at the Shinra guard. "Hmm! Why can't I go inside?"

The guard didn't respond. He just stood there with his rifle slung over his shoulder.

I angrily skipped down the stairway and sat at the bottom step. "This isn't fair!"

The minutes seemed to crawl.

When I glanced up over my shoulder, the Shinra guard was busy looking through the doorway at what was going on inside. I could hear raised voices, but couldn't make out the words being exchanged by the general and the First Class SOLDIER.

"Jerk!" I was pretty sure that if Cloud had been here, he would have convinced Sephiroth that it was okay for me to go with them. What was I going to do, blab Shinra's precious industrial secrets all over town? "Give me a break…" I mumbled.

It started getting dark and the temperature was dropping fast by the time Sephiroth and Zack reappeared. I had to guide them through the long way since the bridge was gone.

No one talked on the way back. Both Sephiroth and Zack had haunted looks on their faces, as if they had seen something terrifying inside the Reactor. What could it have been? I was curious, but I was still angry, so I didn't ask.

We didn't get back to town until 7:00pm. The three men went straight to the Inn, leaving me standing outside like I didn't exist. Well, at least the Shinra guard held up a hand, giving me a brief wave goodbye.

The next day I walked back to the Inn right after dinner, hoping I could talk to Zack about what they saw inside the reactor. I found him standing near the well with the Shinra guard. Sephiroth was nowhere to be found.

"Where's General Sephiroth?" I asked.

Zack motioned with his head toward the Shinra mansion. "He's been in there since late last night." He glanced at his watch and then at the guard. "It's getting late. I'm gonna go check and see what's taking him so long." The dark-haired First Class SOLDIER headed toward the old mansion and walked up the steps leading to the front entrance.

I smiled as I turned to the Shinra guard. "You know, he sort of reminds me of my friend Cloud." I tilted my head to see if I could see the guard's face under his visor, but he turned away to avoid me. "Don't you talk?" I asked.

The guard shook his head.

I figured maybe he had a speech impediment. "I guess I'll do all the talking then. Do you know my friend? His name's Cloud Strife?"

He hesitated before nodding.

"Are you friends?"

He nodded again.

"I wonder why he hasn't written to me in the last seven months. When you get back to Midgar, will you tell him I asked about him? Or…since you can't talk, maybe you can write him a note or something."

Another nod.

"Did you trip Tommy on purpose yesterday?"

He shrugged.

I laughed. "You did. I bet Cloud told you about Tommy and how Tommy used to pick on him." I wished he could talk and tell me his name so I could mention him in my next letter to Cloud. "You did it for Cloud, didn't you?"

Another shrug.

"I really miss Cloud." After a few minutes of silence, I sighed. "Oh well. I think I'll go take a dip in the hot springs. Hey, you wanna come with?"

The Shinra guard quickly shook his head.

"Oh, maybe you're not allowed to leave your post. Okay…I'll see you later then." I walked away.

A little while later I was swimming in the warm waters of the springs. Every time I came here, I thought about Cloud. I could even picture him sitting at the edge, his bare feet in the water as he watched me swim. It was only that one time I ever swam naked in front of him. I had only been fourteen at the time.

As I floated quietly on the surface of the water, I closed my eyes and pictured Cloud's face. His aqua-colored eyes…his crooked smile…hovering above me before coming down to kiss my lips. My stomach tightened at the memory of our last night together, slowly making out on my bed. I was literally aching to see him and to hear his voice.

Why wasn't he answering my letters?

My eyes flew open at the sound of a loud rumble. It was followed by three more. I quickly swam to the edge of the pond and jumped out. As I dried myself and dressed, I wondered if maybe there had been an avalanche at Mt Nibel. It was probably best if I went home.

I headed back down along the curved path. Another loud boom reached me. I realized it was no avalanche. It was coming from town. I started to run…something was happening…

Just as I reached the crest of the hill leading down into town, my jaw dropped open. Everything was on fire…all the houses on every block…the flames reaching nearly thirty feet into the air. Several other explosions followed.

I noticed several bodies lying scattered near the well. I felt like I was walking in a dream as I reached the main road, buildings burning on both sides of me. The heat was stifling and the smoke burned my eyes. "Papa!" I desperately called out. "Where are you? Papa!"

Then I saw Professor Zangan, my music instructor.

"Professor Zangan!"

"Tifa, what are you doing here? You must run to safety!"

"What in the world is going on?"

Zangan was holding one of the villagers. It was the man who owned the weapon shop.

"How could this happen?" I asked in shock. "How could all the houses be on fire?"

"Sephiroth," Zangan replied through clenched teeth. "It's all his doing."

I frowned in confusion. "What? Sephiroth? But that's…Why would Sephiroth…? Professor, have you seen my father? I can't find him anywhere."

"Your father's at the Mako Reactor on the mountain."

The man held by Zangan struggled to speak. "Don't…The mountain's where Sephiroth…"

Zangan looked down at the man. "Hey, hold on. I'll get…" But the man died before Zangan could finish his sentence.

I ran toward the path leading to Mt Nibel.

"Tifa! There's nothing you can do! Tifa!!"

I ignored Professor Zangan's calls and kept running.

When I got to the path leading to the Reactor, I searched for my father. "Papa, where are you?"

Then I saw him. He was lying on the ground in front of the Reactor, a bloody sword stuck to the ground beside him.

"Papa!" I reached him and lifted his head on my lap. "Hold on, Papa!"

He slowly raised his hand. "Tifa…"

"Don't worry. I'll take care of you." But I knew it was hopeless. My eyes drifted over the deep red stain on the front of his shirt.

"Tifa…you have…to run."

"Please, Papa! Hang on! I'll get help!" But he was gone. Tears filled my eyes as I hugged him.

After a few minutes, I stood up in a daze, my face wet with angry tears. "Sephiroth did this." I walked toward the sword stuck in the ground and pulled it out. "Sephiroth. SOLDIER. Shinra. Mako Reactors. I hate them. All of them!"

I ran into the Reactor, carrying the huge sword in both hands. Back then I was young and inexperienced. I didn't have a clue what I was up against. All I knew was that the man idolized by my friend Cloud had just killed my father and burned down my entire town, with everyone in it.

Once inside the Reactor, I saw Sephiroth at the top of a stairway, ready to open a door. On each side of the stairway, were three rows of strange looking pods. Each pod had a small window. But I didn't have time to study the strange objects that made up my surroundings. "Sephiroth! How dare you kill my father! How dare you kill my friends!" I ran up the stairs with the intention of sticking the sword into his back. But when I swung the sword, he suddenly grabbed it, lifting me completely off the ground.

I looked at his face. His green eyes were eerier than ever. In one quick movement, he pulled the sword from my hands and slashed it across my torso. I fell backward down the stairway and landed hard on the floor below.

As I tried to remain conscious despite the overwhelming pain, only one person invaded my thoughts. "You promised…that you'd come for me when I was in trouble. Cloud…"

I must have passed out from the pain because the next thing I knew, Zack Fair was shaking me.

"Tifa. Tifa!"

"Zack…"

"You tried to take on Sephiroth by yourself?"

"You all said…you only came to town to conduct an investigation. That's why I showed you the way here. So why…? How could you do…?" I couldn't finish as tears filled my eyes.

"This wasn't supposed to happen…"

"I hate Shinra and I hate SOLDIER. I hate all of you." I was shaking with anger and remorse.

Zack slowly got up. "I'm sorry. I won't ask you to forgive me. Just…let me prove I'm different."

Somewhere behind me I could hear Zack's footfalls on the metals steps as he slowly headed up. Crackling electrical sounds were followed by a loud bang. "Sephiroth!" yelled Zack.

My vision blurred as the sounds of battle reached my ears from the other chamber. If I hadn't been so weak from my injury, I would have gone up to see what was happening.

I wasn't sure how much time had passed before someone else came to my side. I felt myself being lifted and gently laid against the wall. A hand touched my face and pushed the hair away from my eyes.

I slowly opened them and stared, not believing what I was seeing. "Cloud. You came for me."

He nodded.

"You kept your promise." I was so weak from my injuries, I could barely speak or keep my eyes open. "You came when I was in trouble…just like you said you would." In the recesses of my mind, I wondered why he was wearing a Shinra guard uniform…just like…

"I'm sorry," he whispered as he inspected the slash across my torso. "Looks like I'm a little late."

A sound in the other chamber drew Cloud's attention and then he was gone, making me wonder if he had actually been there or not. Had I hallucinated him because I had wanted him to be there so badly?

I lost consciousness before I could determine if it had really been Cloud or just the Shinra guard.

_

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_

Please review. Thanks.


	4. Chapter 4

_Author's Note – We've had some really bad weather. Bad weather means no satellite. No satellite means no internet. No internet means no new chapters. But everything's working fine now so here's the next one._

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Chapter 4

**EDGE – the present**

In the morning, I went about my usual tasks. I made breakfast and got Marlene and Denzel up and ready for school.

The atmosphere in the apartment felt so different…probably because Cloud was home again. My usual high hopes kicked in. Maybe things would finally fall into place. Not maybe…they just _had_ to. We had been through too much to just throw it all away. I needed to figure out how I was going to approach Cloud and find out once and for all where we stood. Were we or were we not in a relationship?

_Are you and Cloud ever going to get married?_

The more I thought about Marlene's question, the more I liked the sound of it.

Mrs Cloud Strife. Tifa Strife.

It sounded so fluid, like it would roll off the tongue so easily. But I didn't voice my thoughts outloud…especially not in front of Marlene. My biggest fear would be Marlene posing that same question to Cloud. He'd probably freak and run like a frightened rabbit so he wouldn't be forced to answer.

A half hour later, I watched Marlene and Denzel climb into their school bus. After that I headed upstairs to wake up Cloud. He hadn't come down for breakfast and I just assumed he wanted to sleep late. Only the Gods knew how much he probably needed it.

I knocked lightly on his door. "Cloud?" When I didn't get a response, I quietly turned the knob and slowly pushed the door open. To my surprise, his cot was neatly made and he wasn't in the room. "Hmm…" He must have left before I got up and that had been pretty early. He hadn't mentioned an early delivery. Maybe he forgot to tell me.

Or maybe he was gone again…

No. He wouldn't leave like that again. Not after his apology to me last night about not telling me he had Geostigma. He wouldn't make the same mistake twice.

Going into my usual routine, I walked around his room, picking up his dirty clothes and tossing them in the hamper on my way to the bathroom. There was another pile of his clothes next to the shower. I picked them up and started to put them in the hamper. But not the black sweater vest he had worn the day before. I raised it to my nose and inhaled the scent lingering on the material. It was his scent…mingled with the outdoors and dirt and blood and sweat. Everything that was familiar about him.

The phone suddenly rang, making me jump, like I had been caught indulging in some guilty pleasure. I quickly tossed Cloud's vest into the hamper and went into my bedroom to answer the phone. Maybe it was Cloud calling to tell me where he was. "Hello?"

"Hey, Tifa!"

It wasn't Cloud. It was my wayward ninja friend, Yuffie. Cloud only called the house phone if he couldn't reach me on my cell. "Hi, Yuffs. What're you up to?"

"Nothing. Just hanging here at the coffee shop around the corner from you."

I noticed something on the nightstand on the other side of my bed. There was a white orchid resting on top of a folded piece of paper. I hadn't noticed it there when I got up earlier. "I thought you'd be halfway to Wutai by now," I said to Yuffie, although I was somewhat distracted by what I saw on the nightstand.

"Nah, I decided to stay in Edge for another day. Wanna go shopping?"

I crawled across the bed with the phone still on my ear. "Yeah, sure. I just need to get some laundry started. I can meet you at the mall at 11:00. We can do lunch, too."

"Sounds like a plan. See you then."

"Bye." I hung up and stared at the orchid. There was only one place an orchid like this could possibly grow. Aeris's church. And only one person could have left it on my nightstand.

Cloud.

Was he still hung up on Aeris? Was this his way of telling me that he loved her more than he loved me, leaving it as a visual reminder so he wouldn't have to actually confront me with the truth?

I was afraid to look at what was on the folded piece of paper. Was it a goodbye letter? 'Thanks for all the good times, Tifa, and for being my friend…but I gotta move on'.

Cloud couldn't be that cruel. He knew I was crazy about him.

I nudged the flower aside and pulled open the paper, immediately recognizing Cloud's less than perfect handwriting.

_Tifa,_

_I didn't want to wake you. I forgot to tell you I had a delivery to make to a weapons guy in Kalm. We need to talk when I get back. Please be home. It's important._

_Cloud_

We needed to talk? In the last couple of years, Cloud had developed an aversion to talking. He only spoke when he was spoken to, never contributing to a conversation unless a question was specifically directed to him. Even then, most of his responses consisted of no more than three or four words at a time.

So what could be so important that he wanted me to be home when he got here? Maybe he was going to tell me in person that he was moving out. Or even worse, he'd never be able to feel the way I felt about him.

I frowned as I refolded the note and put it back on the nightstand. I picked up the flower and twirled it in my fingers. Was it a symbol of his affection for me...or a small consolation prize?

When did I suddenly become so pessimistic? Cloud was rubbing off on me.

**

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MIDGAR – the past

At first I blamed everyone associated with Shinra, including members of SOLDIER. But Professor Zangan explained what happened. Sephiroth had lost his mind and acted alone when he set out to destroy the town. Zack Fair had nothing to do with the general's actions.

I wondered if word had gotten to Cloud. If he knew what happened to Nibelheim and to his mother, I was certain he would have returned from Midgar. But returned to what? The town was a cemetery. Only a handful of people managed to escape the inferno.

As a group, we headed south to Cosmo Canyon. Besides myself, there were two others that were critically injured and were immediately tended to when we arrived.

When I finally recovered from the injury inflicted by Sephiroth, I told Professor Zangan I wanted to go to Midgar. Nibelheim was gone. My father was gone. I had no one left…except my childhood friend, Cloud. And I hadn't heard from him in almost a year.

Zangan was reluctant to put me on the train.

"_You're only sixteen, Tifa. You can't live on your own."_

"_I have to find my friend. Can't you understand that I need to do this?"_

_Zangan sighed and shook his head. "Alright, but when you get there, I don't want you to get off the train until you arrive at the station in Sector Seven. There's a man by the name of Barret Wallace. I'll get in touch with him and have him meet you at the station. You can stay with him until you figure out what you want to do."_

Midgar was huge and noisy, but I was so excited to be there. It was so different from the quiet lifestyle I was used to in Nibelheim. Did it matter anymore? My hometown had been destroyed by a madman.

Instead of following Zangan's instructions and waiting to get off at the Sector Seven train station, I got off sooner. Sector Three. According to one of Cloud's letters, he wrote about how Midgar was divided into seven sectors, like a pie. The SOLDIER academy was in Sector Three.

The academy buildings were fairly new, probably renovated in the last few years. As I walked the halls, following the signs pointing toward the main office, I couldn't help but notice that everything looked strange for a military facility. There were colored drawings pinned up on bulletin boards, like the kind young children would make.

I looked through the glass on one of the doors and saw boys and girls sitting at desks. They couldn't have been more than eight or nine years old. Were they really training them this young?

I found the door to the main office and walked through it. A woman was sitting behind a counter, stamping papers. Since there was no one else in the room, I walked up and cleared my throat. "Hi, I'm sorry to bother you, but can you help me?"

She gave me an impatient smile. "Certainly. What can I do for you, Miss?"

"I'm looking for a friend of mine. His name is Cloud Strife."

"Let me check here." She turned her chair and faced a computer. She rapidly typed on the keyboard. "Cloud Strife. Hmm…I'm sorry, the name isn't coming up. Are you sure that's his last name? Sometimes parents get divorced and last names change."

"No, that's his name. He should be here. Cloud Strife, S-T-R-I-F-E, probably First Class by now."

The woman turned away from the computer and gave me a puzzled look. "First Class? I'm not sure I understand."

"First Class SOLDIER. That's what he wanted to be."

She sighed heavily. "I'm sorry, Miss. This is no longer the SOLDIER academy. It's a middle school."

I frowned. "But, how can that be?"

"The SOLDIER units were disbanded months ago. Ever since…" She didn't continue and sighed again. "May I make a suggestion? If your friend was in SOLDIER then perhaps he's working at the Shinra Corporation building at the center of Midgar."

Of course! I thanked the woman wholeheartedly and rushed out.

I had to take another train to get to the 70-story glass building in the center of the seven sectioned city of Midgar. Once I got there, it was nearly impossible to get in. I had to lie and tell them I was there to apply for a job.

The receptionist made me wait almost two hours before someone came out to greet me.

"My name's Cynthia. Come with me, please." She escorted me into her office and sat me down in front of her desk before she went around to sit. "So tell me what kind of a job you're looking for, Miss Lockhart?"

I cringed. "Well, actually I'm not here for a job."

Her friendly smile slowly faded. "Excuse me?"

"I'm sorry," I quickly said. "But they weren't going to let me in here."

She folded her arms in annoyance. "And you wanted to be let in for what reason?"

"I'm looking for my friend Cloud. Cloud Strife. He joined the SOLDIER academy. You see, there was a very bad accident in our hometown a few months ago and I haven't heard from him in awhile. I'm wondering if he knows what happened."

At first she looked reluctant to help me, but then she turned to her computer with a sigh. "Just so you know, I'm only going to tell you if he's here in the building. After that you're on your own." She typed on her keyboard and watched her screen. "Okay, here we go. Cloud Strife. Yes, he joined the academy fifteen months ago. His grades were alittle off, but he did excellent in combat training…Received his first set of Mako injections…" Then her face fell. "Oh…"

"What?" I didn't like the way she sounded.

She turned to me, her face suddenly looking apologetically. "I'm sorry to have to tell you this, but…he was killed during a mission three months ago."

It took awhile for her words to sink in. Cloud was dead. "No…it can't be."

"The mission file is restricted, for upper management only, so I can't discuss the details of what happened."

I swallowed the lump in my throat and looked back at the woman. "Zack Fair…?" It was the only other tie to Cloud I had. If I could just see Zack…

She typed on her keyboard and paused. "He's…also deceased."

I closed my eyes as they quickly filled with tears.

"I'm so, so sorry. Is there something else I can…"

I didn't wait for her to finish. I rushed out of her office and ran blindly through the corridors and down the four flights of stairs. I left the building as fast as my feet could carry me and through the main gates.

Someone laughed and yelled behind me. "Didn't get the job, huh?"

I was too upset to respond back to the rude guard at the entrance.

When I found myself in an alley, I dropped to my knees and cried harder than I had ever cried before in my life…even more than when my mother or father died.

It had a lot to do with learning Cloud had been killed. But mainly it was the catalyst to the emptiness in my life. I was completely alone now. I had no one…

It took awhile before I was able to move again. I felt like I was walking in a dream and my feet carried me without my mind actually knowing where I was going.

Somehow or another, I ended up taking the train to Sector Seven and got off at the station. It was dark out and it was raining lightly.

Just then a huge, bulking man stepped out of the shadows. He was well over six feet tall and had arms as thick as tree trunks. I gasped when I realized at the end of his right arm was a lethal looking hook. I was about to run.

"Tifa Lockhart?" His voice was rough and serious.

My feet remained planted to the ground. Could this possibly be Barret Wallace, the man Professor Zangan had told me to meet? "Yes…" I whimpered out.

He sneered angrily. "The hell've you been? Kept me waitin' here for hours!"

I swallowed the lump in my throat and looked down. The tears came again and I couldn't stop them.

"Hey, now…Ain't no reason to cry 'bout it." His voice softened a bit. "Didn't mean to yell at ya. Come on, let's get outta this miserable rain."

I came to learn that Barret Wallace was caring for a three year old named Marlene. He adopted the little girl when her father disappeared not long ago. Barret told me I could stay with them in exchange for taking care of Marlene whenever he was away.

I was distraught over learning Cloud had been killed. Zack Fair was dead. Both of my parents were dead. I had no one else to turn to. Even though Professor Zangan was kind to me, I couldn't see myself living with him indefinitely. So I agreed to stay with Barret and Marlene in Midgar.

**

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MIDGAR – the past

There wasn't a single day I didn't think about Cloud during the five years that followed. Sometimes I cried myself to sleep at night thinking about him. I ached and ached to see him…to be with him…I missed my mother and father, too. But Cloud had been such a large part of my life growing up.

Barret helped me open a tavern in Sector Seven, just so I had something to keep me busy. And it was also a good headquarters for our secret anti-Shinra organization. Barret discovered things over the years…things about the Reactors and how they were sucking the life out of the planet. Plus he had his own reasons for hating Shinra. They had filled his head and those in his home town of Corel with empty promises. The results were catastrophic.

Together, with the help of several people Barret recruited over the years, we tried to thwart President Shinra at every opportunity.

During those years I met a lot of men who wanted to 'get to know me' on a more personal basis. Not all of them were bad. I could have seen myself with one or two, long term. But I just couldn't. I didn't want to be with anyone. I didn't want to be tied down…and there was no reason for it except that I wasn't over Cloud. Maybe I would never be over him.

By some divine miracle, while walking to the train station one late afternoon to meet up with Jessie and Wedge, I saw something that shocked me down to my toes.

A Shinra guard was nudging someone sitting on the ground near the platform. "Hey."

I thought my eyes were playing tricks on me because the individual looked a lot like Cloud. But it couldn't be. Cloud had been killed over five years ago. My curiosity got the better of me and I walked forward.

"Hey, buddy, you okay?" asked the guard. He finally gave up with a disgusted grunt and walked away.

As I approached slowly, he seemed confused and disoriented sitting on the ground. I inspected the individual's distinguishable SOLDIER uniform and the massive buster sword lying beside him. Zack Fair had been wearing the same uniform and carried the same weapon when he had come to Nibelheim that fateful day.

"Cloud?" I whispered, even though I didn't think the young man on the ground was my childhood friend.

He looked up with slightly dazed eyes.

I gasped and covered my mouth. There was no mistaking the face.

"Yeah, I'm Cloud," he said frigidly. He slowly stood up, swaying a bit on his feet. His eyes were different. They had a strange glow to them. He studied my face and his expression turned hopeful briefly before returning to a show of indifference.

"Don't you…know who I am?" I asked with concern.

"Tifa…"

Tears filled my eyes as my name rolled off his tongue. I started to move closer, but he stumbled backward, away from me. "Cloud…They told me you were dead." I wanted so badly to hug him, but he seemed so aloof and detached, like he didn't care that we were finally seeing each other after so many years.

"Not dead yet."

"I never thought I'd see you again!"

He steadied himself on the edge of the platform. "Yeah, it's been awhile."

"What happened to you? You don't look well."

"It's nothing. I'm okay."

"How long has it been?"

He closed his eyes with a frown as he suddenly shook in spasms. But it was over quickly and he looked at me as if nothing happened. "Five…five years."

I stared at him. Five years? It was more like almost seven. Five years ago was when Sephiroth burned Nibelheim to the ground. I still wondered if he even knew it happened.

When I reached out to run my hand over his black, sleeveless sweater, he backed away abruptly, like he didn't want to be touched.

I pretended not to notice his strange behavior. "You got your wish. You joined SOLDIER."

"That's right. But I quit and…" He seemed unsure of his words. "…now I'm…I'm a mercenary."

"A mercenary?" That didn't sound like the Cloud I remembered. "So you do things for money?"

He picked up the buster sword and flipped it over his shoulder to somehow latch onto his back. "I gotta get going." He started to turn away from me.

"Cloud, wait!" How could he just walk away from me? In a moment of panic, I said the first thing that came to my mind. "I have a job for you."

He didn't turn around to face me completely, only halfway. "Will it pay well?"

"Come with me. We can talk on the way."

"Where're we going?"

"There's someone I want you to meet."

**

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**

MIDGAR, SECTOR SEVEN – the past

Barret slammed his huge fist on the top of the bar, causing several beer mugs to bounce and nearly spill their contents. "We don't need no mercenary, Tifa! We can handle things ourselves!"

I glanced around Barret's huge frame to where Cloud was standing. I couldn't decipher his expression, but he looked like he was going to bolt at any second. And then I'd lose him forever. "Barret, listen to me. We need his help. He's an ex-SOLDIER. He knows the inner workings of Shinra."

Barret spun around to look at the young man behind him. "You been in the Reactors?"

Cloud squinted his eyes and at first I didn't think he was going to answer Barret's question. "Yeah. I've been in two or three. They all look the same on the inside."

Barret turned back to me and pointed a finger at my nose. "If he screws up, I'm blaming you."

I held up my hands in defense. "Fine. It'll be my fault." I followed Barret with my eyes as he sneered in Cloud's direction and stomped out the front door of the tavern.

Cloud shrugged. "I don't think he likes me very much."

I walked over to him and put a hand on his muscular arm. "Don't worry about him, Cloud. He's like that with everyone."

He looked down at where my hand was touching him. But at least this time he wasn't moving away from me. Then his eyes suddenly darted toward the bar.

When I followed his gaze, I saw Marlene peeking over the top. "It's okay, Marlene. You can come out. This is my friend, Cloud."

Marlene's eyes widened and she quickly ducked back down behind the bar.

I leaned closer to Cloud. "She's a bit shy with strangers." I left Cloud's side and walked to the kitchenette next to the bar. "Are you hungry, Cloud? I can make you something to eat."

"Yeah, sure." He scratched the back of his head. "Is there any place I can wash up?"

"Oh, I'm sorry. I guess I should show you where you can sleep tonight, too." I glanced toward the bar, where Marlene was huddled on the floor behind it. "I'll be right back, Marlene."

Cloud followed me upstairs where I pointed to the bathroom and then led him into the bedroom Wedge and Biggs shared. There were two beds and a sofa in the small room.

I pointed to the sofa. "We don't have any unoccupied rooms. The couch is pretty comfortable."

"It'll be fine." He looked up at me, as if there was something he wanted to say.

That dreaded lump formed in my throat, but I was determined to tell him how I felt. "I missed you, Cloud." I moved close to him, wrapping my arms around his torso.

His arms slowly came around me in response. "I missed you, too."

I inhaled his scent…sweat and blood and him. "They told me you were killed during a mission. Where've you been all this time?"

"I…I don't know." He drew away. "I don't remember."

I wasn't sure what sparked it…as if my actions weren't my own, but I leaned toward him and brushed my lips sensually across his. I heard his breath catch in his throat.

Oh dear Gods, what did I do?

When I drew away, he breathed again. His brows were narrowed and his eyes were a little wide.

I stared back at him, my cheeks heating up furiously. "I'm…I'm sorry. I don't know why I…I did that."

He remained silent and unresponsive.

I looked down, feeling foolish and embarrassed. I wanted to just crawl under the bed.

Cloud's hands suddenly came up to my face and he tilted my head back, forcing me to look up at him. Before I could digest his gentle touch on my cheeks, he pressed his lips against mine in a soft kiss.

As he kissed me a second time, my heart might have skipped a beat, I wasn't sure. Before I realized what was happening, we were hungrily kissing each other…sucking, licking and nibbling. I had completely lost control, desperately clinging to him, afraid he'd disappear again.

When I finally broke the kiss to breathe, a shiver ran up my spine as I felt his warm breath moving along my cheek to my ear.

"I need a shower." He nuzzled the side of my face briefly before abruptly pulling away and turning to walk out of the room.

He left me breathless and hot and needing him so badly I started to cry, all the anger and grief and confusion coming out of me at once.

After a few minutes, I reached up to wipe the tears in my eyes. Cloud was alive. I should have been jumping up and down with joy and relief. Yet something nagged at the back of my mind. He was different…uncaring in a way.

Something had happened to him and I didn't think he would readily volunteer any details. I wouldn't pressure him, though. If he wanted to talk about it what happened to him, then I would be available to listen.

Besides, hadn't I changed in the last seven years, too? We weren't teenagers anymore.

I walked out of the bedroom. Out in the corridor I stopped in front of the bathroom door, leaning my forehead against it as I listened to the shower running. I closed my eyes and imagined Cloud standing underneath the warm water.

"I love you," I whispered to the door, knowing he couldn't hear me and surprised at myself for admitting such a profound attachment to him.

I went downstairs to make Cloud something to eat. Remembering he liked peanut butter and jelly, I made him the sandwich and hoped he still liked it.

Just as I was about to go back upstairs and give Cloud his sandwich, Barret returned with the others following behind him.

"Git to sleep now!" Barret ordered as he locked the front door and flipped the sign over, indicating 'We're Closed'. "I need all you dipshits to be sharp tomorrow."

Wedge, Biggs and Jessie headed upstairs.

"Where's your boyfriend?" Barret asked sarcastically.

"He's upstairs. I put him in the room with Wedge and Biggs. And he's not my boyfriend," I tossed over my shoulder at him as I went upstairs.

As I reached the top, Jessie came out of her bedroom and stopped just outside the bathroom door. "Hey, Tifa. Can I ask you something?"

"Sure, Jessie, what's up?"

"So you've known Cloud since you were kids?"

"That's right. We grew up together."

"And that's it? You're just friends?"

I had a feeling I knew where she was trying to go with this line of questioning. Problem was, I didn't even know what my current relationship was with Cloud. If I told her Cloud and I were together, what if Cloud wasn't in agreement? Then I'd look like a complete fool. "You'll have to ask Cloud that question."

"Oh, I see." She smiled. "Don't worry then, Tifa. I won't muscle in on your territory."

"He's not my territory," I said defensively.

Jessie roller her eyes. "Yeah, right. Goodnight." She walked into the bathroom and closed the door.

I stood in the hallway for a minute, digesting the brief conversation with Jessie. She was interested in Cloud, I could tell. But she wouldn't pursue him out of respect for me. It was obvious that since Cloud changed physically, he seemed more attractive to the opposite sex. I wondered how many other women I'd have to fight off.

I knocked on the door belonging to Wedge and Biggs. "I'm coming in," I announced before turning the knob and pushing the door open.

Wedge was reclined on his bed, his clothes still on. Biggs was busy unlacing his shoes.

I found Cloud sitting on the sofa, wearing nothing but a towel around his waist. The sight of his bare chest nearly sent me into convulsions. He was still as thin as he was back in Nibelheim seven years ago, but the muscles on his arms, those on his chest were more defined. I imagined wielding a heavy buster sword that was nearly six feet long, one would have to be pretty strong. He looked powerful and far more masculine than I remembered him looking.

Sadly, it reminded me of the destruction of my hometown. If it had still been standing, Cloud would have been able to go back and prove to everyone that he made it as a First Class SOLDIER. He definitely could have kicked Tommy's ass without blinking an eye.

But everyone was gone…including Tommy.

Cloud took the paper plate from my hands. "Thanks."

"Peanut butter and jelly. It's still your favorite, right?"

He didn't comment and took a bite. Then he looked up at me. "It's good. Thanks," he said again.

"How come he gets special treatment?" Wedge asked. "You never brought me a sandwich before bedtime."

I rolled my eyes at Wedge and walked to his bed, grabbing an extra pillow and the extra cover. I placed them on the couch next to Cloud and turned toward the door. "Goodnight everyone." I glanced one last time at Cloud before walking out of the room and closing the door behind me.

Barret came up the stairs with Marlene perched on his shoulder.

"Goodnight, Tifa," Marlene whispered. "Don't let the bed bugs bite."

"Goodnight." I smiled, wondering why she was whispering all of a sudden. Maybe it had something to do with the spiky-headed stranger she had seen downstairs.

I walked into my bedroom and after changing into my nightshirt, I crawled under the covers. I rolled on my side and curled into a ball as I closed my eyes, willing myself to fall asleep. But after awhile I knew sleep wasn't going to come so easily. Not after I tasted what I knew would probably never belong to me. At least not unless I fought hard for him.

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Thanks for the reviews. I haven't had a chance to reply to any, but I will soon.


	5. Chapter 5

_Author's Note__ – This chapter contains another Cloti moment in the past, but without the details. Still rated T. For those of you that played the game and know all the lines by heart, you'll notice I changed some words around. I'm not in anyway professing that my version is better. I just feel that some of the dialogue could have been translated a little better._

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Chapter 5

**EDGE – the present**

Most of the time, Yuffie Kisaragi was a pain in the ass. But today, she was the biggest one ever!

"Can we please talk about something else?" I pleaded to the eighteen-year-old ninja as we sat opposite each other in a booth at Louie's Sandwich Shop.

"That numb-skulled Chocobo head takes you for granted."

"It's not like that, Yuffie, really."

She frowned at me. "You think I didn't know what was going on between you two when we were chasing after Sephiroth two years ago. I wasn't that big of an airhead back then, you know. Although Barret would say different."

"I know, we didn't really hide it after awhile, but…"

"After awhile? Hell, we had bets every night on whether or not you two were going to sneak off."

My jaw dropped in surprise. "What?"

"Every night it was some lame ass excuse. Cloud, I need to pee, can you come with to watch my back? Tifa, I need to show you how to use that Dragon Claw, follow me." She changed the timber of her voice as she mimicked each of us. "Cloud, I lost an earring, can you help me find it? Tifa, a word in private, please. Man, I just wanted to yell at both of you guys, who were you trying to kid?"

I shook my head in embarrassment. "And I thought we were being so careful."

"So why is he being so cold to you all of a sudden?"

"He's not being cold, it's just…" I didn't really know what it was or why our relationship took a turn. "I don't know. Things changed between us after AVALANCHE split up."

"You should have booted him out a long time ago."

I sighed heavily and stared down at the half-eaten sandwich on my plate. "I can't just toss him out in the street."

"Why not? He seemed to be doing fine on his own in the last two weeks."

"He didn't leave because he wanted to be by himself. He was trying to hide his Geostigma symptoms from me."

"I still think you should tell him you're not his slave, so hit the road."

"I don't mind doing things for him." I promised myself I wouldn't cry. But lately it seemed a difficult promise to keep. Every little thing and the flood gates opened. "I just want to be with him…I don't care that we're not together like that anymore." It was far from the truth. I cared. I cared a lot…

"And what happens when he decides to start dating other girls?"

I shrugged, still looking down. "I'll just have to deal with it when the time comes," I whispered more to myself than to Yuffie.

"You're not fooling anyone but yourself, Tifa. He's had plenty of time to figure things out. He's not getting any younger."

"Yeah, neither am I." Twenty-two years old and never in a committed relationship. I still held on to the hope that Cloud would come to his senses and we'd be like a real couple. To give up hope would be to lose my faith in him and everything I believed in. I wasn't ready to give up. Not yet. "Please, Yuffie, let's just talk about something else."

Yuffie gave me a worried look, but she sighed and popped a chip into her mouth. Then a grin appeared on her face. "So whatta you think about me and Vincent?"

I nearly choked on the water I had started to drink. "What?!"

"I think he has a soft spot for me."

I wiped at the water that dribbled down my chin. "Yuffie, you do know that Vincent's three or four times your age, right?"

She shrugged. "I know and it doesn't matter to me. Think I should ask him out on a date?"

I rolled my eyes. This was going to be a long afternoon.

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MIDGAR, SECTOR SEVEN – the past

Barret fired his mechanical gun arm and scared everyone out of the bar. I was going to kill him one of these days for scaring away my customers. Couldn't he just make his entrance like a normal human being?

"Papa!" Marlene rushed out from behind the bar to hug Barret.

Cloud walked in and sat down on a stool at the bar. He glanced at Marlene and Barret before turning back to me.

I put a bottle of beer in front of him. "I heard the explosion all the way here."

"I guess it was pretty loud," Cloud said.

Earlier this morning, Barret, Cloud and the others had gone on a mission to destroy one of the reactors. "So everything went well?"

"We ran into some trouble, but we made it out okay."

"Did you fight with Barret?"

"Yeah," he quietly mumbled.

"I should have known. He's always pushing people around and I know you don't like that. I was a little worried."

Cloud absently pulled something out of his sleeveless sweater. It was a yellow flower.

I stared at it. It'd been a long time since I had seen a flower. "A flower? You almost never see them here in the slums."

He seemed reluctant to part with it before finally holding it out to me. "Here."

"Thank you, Cloud." I held it to my nose. "It smells wonderful. Maybe I should fill the bar with flowers. What do you think?"

Cloud shrugged.

I looked over his shoulder at Barret. He seemed to be brooding about something. "You all right, Barret?"

"Great!" He poked his head out the door. "Get in here, fools! We're startin' the meeting!"

I watched Cloud guzzle half the beer before getting up and walking to the pinball machine with Barret. The floor lowered around it, sending them down to the secret meeting room below. The others came in and jumped down through the hole. A few seconds later the pinball machine came back up.

For awhile I tried to keep myself occupied by clearing the tables and washing dishes. But soon I could hear angry voices drifting up through the floor. Barret and Cloud were arguing loudly.

After awhile I couldn't take it anymore. I took the pinball machine down to the lower level, hoping to stop them before they came to blows.

But when I got there it seemed like the conversation was over. Cloud was angrily walking passed me, prepared to ride the pinball machine back up.

"Wait, Cloud!" I called.

"Tifa!" yelled Barret. "Let him go! Looks like he still misses the Shinra!"

Cloud whirled around. "Shut up! I don't give a rat's ass about Shinra or SOLDIER! And I don't care about AVALANCHE or the planet for that matter!"

Barret growled and started aggressively pounding on the punching bag hanging beside him from the ceiling.

I shook my head in dismay as Cloud went up to the main floor. I turned toward Barret. "What is wrong with you?"

When the big guy didn't respond, I headed upstairs, finding Cloud getting ready to leave the tavern. "Please, Cloud. Don't leave."

"Sorry, Tifa…I don't think I can work with Barret."

"I know. He gets under people's skin sometimes. But he's really not a bad guy."

"Why does he keep pushing my buttons?"

"Well, what did he say?"

"He asked me if there was anyone from SOLDIER fighting us today. I said I was positive there wasn't because if there were, none of those idiots downstairs would be alive right now."

I knew exactly where the conversation had gone, but I let Cloud continue.

"He told me my skinny ass is working for AVALANCHE and that I shouldn't get any ideas about hanging with Shinra. Like I'd really side with them after all that's happened."

"He just doesn't know you that well yet."

He shook his head. "I'm outta here, Tifa."

"Cloud, please. The planet's in trouble. It's slowly dying. Someone has to do something."

"So let Barret and his buddies do something about it. It's got nothing to do with me."

Tears stung my eyes. "You're really leaving!? You're just going to walk right out?"

"Sorry." He started to walk toward the door.

"What about your promise?"

He stopped and looked down in confusion. "What promise?"

"You forgot, didn't you? You said you'd help me if I was in trouble…"

"I'm not a hero and I'm not famous."

"Please stay with us. We need you…I need you."

Cloud looked over his shoulder at me.

Right at that moment Barret came up on the pinball machine. "Wait a second, big-time SOLDIER! A promise is a promise! Here!!" He handed Cloud 1500 gil.

Cloud stared at the money in his hand with a frown. "That's it? This is my pay? Don't make me laugh."

"That's all you're gettin'!"

I gave Cloud a pleading look. If he walked out now, I had a feeling I'd never see him again. For certain this time.

Cloud shoved the money into his pocket. "Get the next mission lined up and this time I want 3000."

"What…!?" yelled Barret.

I held a hand up to quiet Barret. "It's ok, it's ok. We're really hurting for help, Barret. We need him."

"That money's for Marlene's schoolin'." He turned to Cloud. "2000!"

Cloud rolled his eyes. "Fine!"

A smile spread across my face. "Thanks, Cloud."

That night I couldn't sleep again. My mind just kept replaying Cloud's desire to leave. He didn't care about anything or anyone. He had completely lost his good nature, or whatever was left of it before he left Nibelheim. It was frightening. I seriously worried about his state of mind.

A sound behind my door made me raise my head. The door opened and Cloud stuck his head inside my room.

He walked in without my permission and closed the door behind him. He was still wearing his clothes, but his feet were bare.

I raised myself up on my elbows, holding the sheets up over me to cover my sheer nightshirt. "Is everything okay?"

Before I realized his intention, Cloud climbed on my bed and tugged the covers off me as he bent to hug my torso. As he rested his head on my lap I was afraid to question his action, fearing he'd bolt like a frightened deer. I hesitantly reached down to run my fingers through his hair.

He hugged my waist tighter and inhaled sharply. "I think about my mom a lot. I shouldn't have left her."

Now I knew he knew what happened at Nibelheim. "You couldn't have prevented what happened anymore than I could."

"Why do I feel so empty inside?"

I bent over and kissed him on the forehead. "I'd be worried if you didn't feel anything at all, Cloud."

Cloud pulled away and reclined on the bed, lying on his side with his head on my pillow. He reached for me and I willingly laid down beside him. As he wrapped me in his arms, I cuddled close, relishing in his heat and his scent. "I need to feel something real," he whispered.

A shiver ran through me as he closed the gap between us and lightly kissed my cheek.

But he wasn't finished. He moved in again and kissed the corner of my lips. "Please, don't say no."

I breathed as he tilted his face, our noses touching, our lips only an inch apart. His warm breath tickled my lips. "Tell me what you want, Cloud."

His lips touched mine, mouth open and breathing. "I want _you_."

Unlike the rushed kissing from the day before, our lips moved against one another's slowly this time…kissing softly…breathing and inhaling. Tongues touched tentatively before stroking with more confidence. Breathing became more labored…lips sucking…teeth nibbling…wet tongues probing and exploring. It was as if we were kissing for the first time.

It wasn't long before our mutual passion escalated. We kissed harder, deeper…thirstier as we drank from each other.

He still tasted so good, just like he did seven years ago. I couldn't get enough. I hummed in pleasure, letting him know how much I was enjoying it. He remained silent, the only sound was his heavy breathing through his nose and the sound of our wet kisses.

His hands drifted down my back to rest just above the curve of my butt. He pulled me closer, pressing harder.

I gasped as I felt his arousal against my thigh and as my hand drifted between us to rest on his chest, I could feel his heart beating faster. It was probably keeping pace with mine.

Without breaking the contact between our lips, Cloud tried to pull off his sweater. I helped him by pushing it up over his head. He tossed it away and his lips immediately captured mine again.

As I touched his bare chest, tracing the lines of sculpted muscle, Cloud shivered a little and a small sound escaped his throat.

His hands touched me everywhere after that, forcing quiet cries of pleasure from my throat. It wasn't long before we were moving together, our bodies joined for the first time. My first time…

Everything I ever imagined…it was nothing compared to the real thing. Pain and bliss. All rolled up into one.

When it was over, Cloud raised his head slightly and I lifted mine to kiss his lips. Then I kissed every inch of his sweaty face. He seemed to savor my lips on him and moved his face where he wanted me to kiss until I was kissing his mouth.

After several minutes, Cloud rolled off me and got up, searching my room for something to clean himself with.

He came back to bed and pulled the covers over us.

I moved into his arms, seeking his heat.

Cloud raised my chin and his glowing eyes found mine. "You kept your promise, Tifa."

"Yes," I confirmed.

"You didn't find anyone…even though you thought I was dead?"

"I didn't feel right with anyone else."

"Yeah. Me, too."

I wondered if he was lying about not being with anyone else. There really was no way for me to know for sure…other than he had nothing to gain or lose by not telling me the truth.

"You believe me, don't you?" he asked, probably because of the uncertainty on my face.

I snuggled against his chest. "Yes, Cloud. I believe you." I closed my eyes and fell asleep almost instantly.

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MIDGAR, SECTOR SEVEN – the past

When I woke up in the morning, Cloud was gone. But a quick check in the bedroom occupied by Wedge and Biggs made me sigh in relief. Cloud was lying on the couch. He hadn't left like I feared.

I went downstairs and started making breakfast.

It wasn't long before the others came down, one by one. Cloud was the last one to come downstairs.

There was the usual banter between the guys. Marlene still seemed a bit leery around Cloud, but I could tell she was starting to get curious and fascinated by the large sword he carried.

Barret got up from his chair. "Alright, our next target's the Sector 5 Reactor. Head for the station first. I'll fill you in on the train."

Wedge, Biggs and Jessie finished their last bites and rushed out of the tavern.

Just as Barret and Cloud were about to walk out the door, I quickly followed them. "I'm going with you this time."

Cloud gave me a disgruntled look, but he didn't stop me from going.

At the station, we boarded the train and met up with Wedge, Biggs and Jessie. Barret grumbled loudly and scared almost all the passenger to the other car.

One man wearing a suit jacket with a Shinra insignia on the pocket remained in his seat, mumbling under his breath, but loud enough for us to hear. "…hoodlums again. God, don't I just have all the luck…"

Barret wandered over to the Shinra employee. "You say somethin'?" When he didn't get a response, he leaned closer to the man. "I said, did you say somethin'!?" Still no response. "You notice the car's empty alluva sudden?"

The Shinra employee finally looked up at him. "It's empty because of g…guys like you…"

Barret laughed outloud.

"You…you've seen the news, right?" the Shinra employee stammered on. "AVALANCHE says there'll be more bombings. Only devoted employees like me would go to work on a day like today."

"You workin' for Shinra?"

"I'm not giving you my seat either!" The man was really trying to be brave.

I figured he'd had enough. "Barret!"

Barret gave the man a menacing look. "You're a lucky shit!"

Cloud looked around before his gaze settled on Barret. "So, now what?"

"Shit! The hell you so calm about? You bustin' up my rhythm…"

The train finally started to move.

"What's our next target, Barret?" Cloud persisted.

"Hah! Listen to Mr. Serious-about-his-work! Awright…I'll tell ya! Jessie's probably already told you, but there's a security checkpoint at the top plate. It's an ID scan system checkin' all the trains."

"Which Shinra is very proud of," I added.

"We can't use our fake IDs anymore," Barret went on to say.

The conductor's voice came over the speaker. "Good Morning and welcome to Midgar lines. Arrival time at Sector 4 Station will be 11:45."

I turned to Cloud. "That means we've got only three more minutes before we reach the ID checkpoint."

Barret moved to the door. "In three minutes, we're jumpin' off this train. Got it?"

After Barret walked away, I leaned closer to Cloud. "Is everything okay? You seem preoccupied."

His eyes lifted toward mine. "Sorry about last night, Tifa."

I wondered if he regretted what we did. "Why are you sorry?" I carefully asked.

"It wasn't supposed to happen like that."

I frowned at him. "Well, how was it supposed to happen?"

He shook his head and looked down. "I don't know. I'm not experienced in that kind of stuff."

I smiled at him. "I thought it was perfect."

He looked up, a hopeful expression crossing his features. "Yeah? You think so?"

Suddenly the emergency light started flashing.

I stared at the light. "That's odd. The ID Checkpoint was supposed to be further down."

A mechanical voice came over the speaker. "Type A Security Alert! Unidentified passengers confirmed! A search of all cars will be conducted! Repeat! Type A Security Alert! Unidentified passengers confirmed! A search of all cars will be conducted!"

I turned to Barret. "What's happening?"

Jessie appeared from the adjacent car. "We're in trouble, I'll explain later. Hurry! Get to the next car!"

"Shit!" hollered Barret. "Someone blew it…"

The voice came again. "Unidentified passengers located in Car number 1. Preparing for Lock Down."

We all rushed out of the car and entered the second car.

"Car number 1 locked down," the speaker blared. "Upgrading to Level 2 warning."

"Hurry!" yelled Biggs as we ran toward the other end of the second car.

"They're gonna lock the door!" warned Wedge.

Jessie waved us onward. "Just run! Changing to Plan 2!"

"Unidentified passengers located in Car number 2. Preparing for lock down."

Our group rushed into the third car.

"Car number 2 locked down. Upgrading to warning Level 3."

Barret turned to Jessie. "Awright! We clear?!"

"Not yet," she replied. "They're starting another check. If we're caught, we're done for! But if we move up the train, car by car, we should get past it!"

"Unidentified Passengers moving to front of train," the speaker continued. "Currently tracking location."

We all proceeded to the fourth car and kept going.

"Car number 4 locked down. Upgrading to Level 4 warning."

We finally got to the front and final car.

"Upgrading to maximum security alert!!" the speaker blared.

Barret pushed open the side door and waved everyone forward. "Let's go! We're gonna dive outta here!"

I grabbed Cloud's arm. "Scary…huh?"

"Too late to be saying that now. Why'd you come along anyway?"

"Because I…" I never got to finish my sentence.

Barret growled ahead of us. "Hey you two! There ain't no time for that!"

"You don't mind if I go before you?" Cloud asked Barret.

"A leader always stays til the end. Don't go gettin' your spiky-ass hurt! It's only the beginnin' of the mission!"

Cloud turned to me. "You go before me."

I jumped off the train and rolled as I landed on the hard ground. After brushing the dust off my short skirt, I jogged ahead and soon ran into Barret and Cloud.

"So far nothin's going as planned," said Barret. "Better not let our guard down til we get to the reactor in Sector 5. Biggs, Wedge, and Jessie should be getting everything ready for us. So let's move it."

We headed down the tunnel and soon came across several red light beams blocking our way.

Cloud grabbed Barret's arm before the big guy could move toward the light beams. "Not that way. Those are Shinra security sensors." He looked toward a hole near the light beams. "Down there."

Barret eyed the hole distastefully. "In that damn tiny hole?"

"Unless you wanna wait here," replied Cloud.

"Damn man, that hole gives me the chills."

"Don't be a coward, Barret," I said. That seemed to work because Barret scowled at me before he squeezed into the opening on the floor.

Cloud waited for me to go next and then he crawled down after me.

After some jogging around in the lower levels, Cloud led us to the reactor's core. He took the bomb from Barret and walked toward the wall panel. Suddenly he pitched forward and fell on his hands and knees.

"Cloud!" I yelled and ran to him just as he collapsed. I dropped to my knees and picked up his head. "Can you hear me?" I didn't know what to do or what was happening to him. "Cloud…"

His eyes slowly opened and he looked up at me as if he was seeing me for the first time.

"Are you all right?" I whispered to him.

"Tifa…"

"What's wrong? What happened?"

He groaned and shook his head. "Nothing. Forget it." He slowly pulled away and stood up. "Come on, let's hurry!" He set the bomb and followed behind me and Barret as we ran outside of the reactor.

Just as we crossed a catwalk, a group of men in blue uniforms appeared.

Barret held his arms out to stop us from moving any further. "Shit! Shinra guards!"

We turned to go back the other way. More guards appeared. We were surrounded.

"It's a trap," said Cloud.

Barret pointed. "Look there. It's President Shinra!"

I watched the well-known bulky man walk forward and wondered why he'd be here at the reactor.

President Shinra stopped several feet away from us. "Hmm…So you all must be that group...what was it?"

"AVALANCHE!" Barret sneered. "And don't ya forget it!"

Cloud took a step forward. "Long time no see, Shinra."

"Long time no see?" He stared at Cloud curiously. "You've been exposed to Mako, judging from the look in your eyes. You're a SOLDIER. But I see you've decided to join AVALANCHE. Bad move on your part. Tell me, traitor, what's your name?"

"Cloud."

"Forgive me for asking, but I can't be expected to remember each person's name. Unless you become another Sephiroth. Yes, Sephiroth…He was brilliant. Perhaps too brilliant…"

Barret was losing his patience, which wasn't unusual for him. "Don't give a damn 'bout none of that! This place is goin' up soon!"

"Such a waste of good fireworks, just to get rid of vermin like you."

"Vermin!? You all are the vermin, killing the planet! That makes you King Vermin! So shuddup jackass!"

President Shinra rolled his eyes. "You are beginning to bore me. I'm a very busy man, so if you'll excuse me, I have a dinner I must attend. But I've made arrangements for a playmate for you all."

A fifteen foot robot appeared from below the catwalk.

"Meet Airbuster, a techno-soldier. Our Weapons Development Department created him. I'm sure the data he'll extract from your dead bodies will be of great use to us in future experiments."

"Techno-soldier?" mumbled Cloud.

A Shinra helicopter appeared and President Shinra climbed aboard. When it was out of sight, the Airbuster robot let loose an ear-splitting screech.

Cloud ran to the other side of the catwalk, drawing his buster sword and slashing at the robot from behind. Barret fired his gun arm while I delivered a series of steel-crushing kicks to its legs, distracting it from Barret and Cloud.

After a few minutes of battling, it looked as if we were defeating the mammoth, until it started to whine again, the sound steadily increasing in volume.

An explosion followed and a piece of the catwalk collapsed. Cloud lost his footing and managed to grab onto the unstable ledge. The Airbuster robot let out another whine, this time even louder.

"It's gonna blow again!" yelled Barret. "Let's go, Tifa!"

"No, we gotta help Cloud!"

Cloud tried to grab another piece of the ledge, but it immediately broke off. "Shit!"

I watched in horror as the ledge he clung to was beginning to collapse.

"Cloud! You can't die! There's still so much I want to tell you!"

"I know, Tifa…I'm sorry. Get her out of here, Barret!"

Barret grabbed me from behind. I struggled to break his hold on me. But then it was too late. Airbuster released another explosion.

When the smoke faded, the robot had disappeared. The entire ledge was gone.

And so was Cloud.

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Please leave feedback. Thanks.


	6. Chapter 6

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Author's Note – Thanks to everyone that reviewed.

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Chapter 6

**EDGE – the present**

By the time I got home from shopping with Yuffie, I had three bags full of clothes and shoes.

I walked in through the back door and nearly jumped out of my skin as I entered the kitchen. Cloud was sitting at the table. I hadn't expected anyone to be home. "Cloud, I didn't think you'd be home so early."

He practically jumped out of his chair. "You need help?" he quickly volunteered to take my bags.

"No, I can handle it. I'll be back down in a few minutes." But as I left the kitchen and went upstairs, Cloud sprinted up the stairs behind me.

In my bedroom, as I busied myself putting my new things away, he walked to the window and sat down on the ledge. I noticed his eyes were following my every move. It looked like he was looking for me to get the conversation rolling. I just wasn't sure what he wanted to talk about.

So I started with a safe and common topic. "Yuffie called earlier. We had lunch and went shopping."

"I noticed. Did you have fun?"

"Yeah, but you know Yuffie. She goes off on her tangents and gives you a headache."

He nodded with a hint of a smile. "Yeah."

When I finished putting everything away, I joined him by the window and sat down beside him on the ledge.

"Is everything okay, Cloud?"

His eyes slowly drifted toward me and he gave a quick nod. "Everything's fine."

I couldn't interpret the look he was giving me so I decided to just get to the point. He'd lose his nerve if I prolonged it. "Your note said you wanted to talk."

"I do." He looked down at his boots. "But…now I wish…"

When he didn't continue, I tilted my head down to draw his gaze. "You wish what?"

He looked up at me again. "I wish we could go somewhere else."

"Somewhere else in the apartment?"

"No. Not here." He sighed. "It just doesn't feel right."

"I don't understand, Cloud. Where do you want to go?" I could tell he had already made the decision to delay whatever it was he wanted to say to me.

"I want us to go away somewhere for awhile."

That was a totally unexpected surprise. "You mean, like a vacation?"

"Yeah, sort of."

"That's a great idea, Cloud! We can plan something once Marlene and Denzel are on summer break. The four of us can…"

He held up a hand to stop me. "No, not all of us."

I gave him a confused look. "No?"

"No. Me and you, Tifa. Just us two."

My jaw hung open in surprise. Did I really hear him say he wanted to go somewhere, just the two of us? "Cloud, I…I…" I didn't know what to say.

"Neither one of us has had a break in years. I think we deserve it."

"Well, where did you have in mind?"

"We have the villa in Costa Del Sol."

I kept forgetting Cloud had purchased that villa a couple years ago. He'd suggested selling it a few times, but I always talked him out of it, saying that we'd use it eventually. The place was the perfect retreat, with a strip of private beach for swimming, scuba diving, or just laying out in the sun. "Perfect choice."

"I'll talk to Barret. He said he'd take care of the bar if you ever needed him to."

I nodded. "Yes, he did say that."

He got up from the window ledge. "How about Saturday? We can leave Saturday and stay at the villa all week."

A whole week? Just me and Cloud? It sounded too good to be true. "Okay."

"Good." He started to walk away.

"Cloud?"

He paused at the door and turned back to me.

"So…what brought this on? I mean, all of a sudden…"

Maybe I shouldn't have asked. His brows drew together. "Why does there have to be a reason, Tifa? I said we both need a break. Isn't that enough?" He looked away with a sigh. "I've got a delivery outside Edge. I'll be back later."

I watched him walk out of my room. _Isn't that enough…?_ A large lump grew in my throat, making it hard for me to swallow. He couldn't have made it clearer that we were only getting away because we needed a break. There was nothing romantic about it, not the slightest implication. Like two buddies going on a fishing trip and hanging out together.

I wanted to scream my lungs out. The hope I felt earlier this morning was shattered by three little words. _Isn't that enough…?_

Seriously, though…did he really think I wouldn't read more into his invitation than just needing a break from everyday life? He knew damned well I'd be thinking of it as a romantic getaway. Or maybe he didn't. Cloud was dense sometimes, but I never realized how clueless he could really be.

_Isn't that enough…?_

No, it wasn't enough. Far from it.

**

* * *

**

WALL MARKET – the past

For the second time in my life I had to deal with Cloud's death. I cried for two days straight. Not even Marlene could cheer me up.

On the third day I crawled out of my slump and convinced Barret to let me infiltrate the residence of Don Corneo, a slum lord who was likely to have valuable information we needed to further our efforts against Shinra. It was a risky mission because I was posing as one of his ladies for the evening. I didn't care. I just needed something to do to take my mind off of Cloud.

After one of Corneo's henchmen left me in the basement of the Honey Bee Manor, I paced around and tried to come up with a plan. Corneo's ritual was to choose one girl out of a lineup of three. What could I do to make sure he picked me?

Just then the henchman brought another girl downstairs to join me.

"Tifa?" asked the red-haired girl cautiously walking toward me.

"Huh?" How did she know my name?

"I'm Aeris. Cloud told me about you."

I stared at her with my mouth open. "How do you know Cloud?"

"He's such a sweet guy. He fought off the Turks for me."

My heart sank. Had Cloud been with this girl before I found him at the train station? What good would it do to be angry now? It didn't matter anyway. He was gone. "I hate to break the news to you, but Cloud is dead."

Aeris smiled and shook her head. "You're mistaken. He's not dead."

At that moment a third girl was escorted downstairs. This one was blonde.

"Here he is now," said Aeris.

What was she talking about? I looked closer at the blonde girl walking toward us. It was Cloud! "Cloud!" I threw my arms around him in a hug. Then I remembered he was wearing a dress and a wig. And he had on makeup. "Why are you dressed like this!? And what are you doing here!? Forget that, what happened to you after the fall!? Are you hurt!?"

He held me at arm's length. "Hey, give me a chance to answer. I'm dressed like this…because there was no other way to get in here. I'm all right and Aeris helped me out after I fell."

A sudden wave of jealousy hit me, blocking every other thought that was scrambled in my mind. "Oh…"

His eyes wandered over my revealing outfit. "Tifa, do you have any idea what kind of place this is?"

"Of course I know."

He looked angry. "Well, then what the hell're you doing here?"

"When we left the number 5 reactor, there was this weird man. So Barret caught him and squeezed some information out of him. The Don's name popped up in the conversation. Barret told me to leave the leach alone...But something was bothering me."

"So you wanted to get the story straight from Corneo's mouth."

"I have to be the girl he picks tonight."

Cloud shook his head. "No way! It's too dangerous."

Aeris jumped in. "Well, there's three of us, right? He has to pick one."

He turned to Aeris. "No, Aeris! I can't have you get involved either."

"I grew up in the slums…I'm used to danger."

The argument was brought to a halt as we heard someone coming down the stairs.

Corneo's henchman appeared. "It's time, ladies. The Don is waiting! I told you not to mingle with each other…I tell ya, women nowadays…Hurry up, will ya!"

Cloud turned to me and Aeris. "I probably don't need to ask but the third girl is…me…right?"

I couldn't stop the smile from spreading across my face. "You're right, there was no need…"

"…to ask," Aeris finished.

The three of us went upstairs and followed the henchman to one of the rooms on the second floor. Standing at the other end of the room was Don Corneo, looking totally ridiculous in white silk pajamas underneath a bright red robe. And the blonde mohawk haircut made him look even more despicable.

"All right ladies!" said the henchman. "Line up in front of the Don!"

Cloud, Aeris and I stood side by side in front of the Don's desk.

"Hmmm!" said Corneo as he leisurely walked in front of us. He inspected each one of us at great length. "Good, splendid! Now, let's see…which girl should I choose? Hmm…" He stopped in front of me. "This one?" Then he glanced toward Cloud. "Or this one?"

Cloud tried to act natural, but I could tell he was feeling uncomfortable being lustfully scrutinized by another man.

"Yes," Corneo continued and touched Cloud's chin. "My choice for tonight will be this healthy looking girl!"

Cloud sighed heavily. As much as he wanted to keep Aeris and I out of danger, he didn't look pleased to have been chosen.

Corneo turned to his henchman. "You can have the other ones."

"Yes, sir! Thank you sir!"

As the henchman led Aeris and I out of the room, I glanced back over my shoulder. Cloud pulled away from Corneo as he tried to grab his arm.

"Oh, I like it when girls play hard to get!" Corneo chuckled.

The henchman followed behind us toward another room. Aeris and I glanced at each other. We were both thinking the same thing and turned around at the same time. The henchman was taken by surprise as Aeris and I delivered simultaneous punches to his face. He collapsed in a heap on the floor.

Aeris grinned. "We better go help Cloud before Corneo finds out he's not a girl."

We ran into Corneo's office again. But it was empty. I could hear voices coming from behind a screen on the other side of Corneo's desk.

"You don't like me?" we heard Corneo ask. "There…isn't someone else, is there?"

"Yes, his name's Barret…" Cloud replied.

"Barret? That sounds familiar…"

"He's one of the ones you were trying to find out about. You know, AVALANCHE…?"

"Enough talk. How about a little kiss? Hmm?"

Aeris and I looked at each other and charged into the back room.

"Cloud, wait!" I yelled, hoping we weren't too late. The sight of the bedroom literally made me nauseous. It was overflowing with different colors.

Corneo was kneeling on a large bed covered in colorful sheets. He turned to Aeris and I. "What're you two doing back here? Guards!"

"Unfortunately, no one'll be coming to help," I said.

Cloud moved away from Corneo and ripped off his wig and dress at the same time, revealing his SOLDIER uniform underneath.

"A man!" Corneo cried out in shock. "What's going on?"

"Shut up!" I yelled. "We're asking the questions now. What did your assistants find out? Talk! If you don't tell us…"

Cloud propped his left foot on the edge of the bed. "I'll chop them off."

Corneo cringed. "No! Not that! I'll talk! I'll tell you everything!"

"So…talk already."

"I made them find out where the man with the gun-arm was. But that's what I was ordered to do."

I moved closer to the bed. "By who?"

"No…! If I tell you, they'll kill me!"

"Talk! If you don't tell us…"

Aeris raised her left foot on the edge of the bed. "I'll rip them off."

Corneo cringed again. "Waaaaah…! It was Heidegger of Shinra! Heidegger, the head of Public Safety Maintenance!"

Cloud glanced in my direction. "The head of Public Safety Maintenance? This is getting more and more complicated by the minute."

"You mentioned Shinra?" I asked Corneo. "What are they up to!? Talk! If you don't tell us…" I raised my left foot on the bed and squeezed my hands into fists. "I'll smash them."

Corneo looked terrified. "Shinra's trying to crush the rebel group called AVALANCHE. He's wanted to infiltrate their hideout for a long time and hasn't been able to. Now they're really going to crush them…literally, by breaking the support holding up the plate above them."

My eyes widened. "Break the support!?"

"You know what's going to happen?" Corneo continued. "The plate'll go PING and everything's gonna go BAM!! I heard their hideout's in the slums of Sector 7. I'm just glad it's not here in Sector 6."

"They're going to wipe out Sector 7!" I turned to Cloud. "They'll kill everyone. We've gotta do something!"

We were about to rush out of the room.

"Just a second!" said Corneo.

Cloud glared at him. "Shut up!"

"Just one question, please. Why do you think scum like me babble on about the truth?"

"Because you think you'll win," Cloud replied.

Corneo grinned. "Right!"

Before we realized what was happening, Corneo reached for something on the headboard and pulled it. The floor beneath us opened up and we fell into a pit.

It seemed like we were falling forever. And then the three of us landed with a big splash.

I must have blacked out because the next thing I knew, Cloud was shaking my shoulder.

"Tifa, you alright?"

"Yeah." I sat up and looked around. We were in a sewer and there was a sickening stench in the air. "Oh, man. This place stinks."

Cloud walked over to Aeris and helped her up. "Come on, while we still have time."

We ran through the sewers until we came to a ladder and climbed up through a manhole. We found ourselves in a junkyard full of broken down train cars. From there we headed toward the Pillar Station.

Along the way we were assaulted by three different groups of bums and had to fight our way through. Kicking some ass didn't bother me because it helped me sharpen my fighting skills.

"We made it!" I yelled. "The pillar's still standing!"

But when we got there we could hear gunfire coming from above. Just then someone fell from the tall pillar and landed on the ground ahead of us. I recognized him. It was Wedge.

Cloud reached him first. "Wedge!! You all right!?"

"Cloud…You remembered…my name. Barret's up top…Needs help…"

Wedge's eyes closed. He was dead.

Cloud turned to Aeris. "Stay here with him." He ran toward the pillar staircase.

I started to follow and then stopped. "Aeris, there's a bar right down the street called Seventh Heaven. A little girl named Marlene…"

"Don't worry. I'll put her somewhere safe." She left Wedge and ran in the direction of the bar.

I took a deep breath and chased after Cloud. Along the way up the stairway, I came across Biggs. I stopped to help him but he waved me to keep going.

When I reached the top Barret was shooting at a Shinra Helicopter. "Stay back, Tifa!" he yelled.

The firing went on for almost a half hour before someone hopped off the helicopter and approached the console controlling the power in the pillar. He had a long red ponytail and wore a dark suit. I recognized the uniform. He was a Turk, a special group working for Shinra.

"You're too late," said the Turk with a grin. "Once I push this button…" and he pressed the button. "That's all, folks! Mission accomplished."

I ran to the console as Cloud and Barret began fighting the redhead. He had a steel rod that delivered a paralyzing shock. But the two of them were giving him a good beating.

"No one gets in the way of Reno and the Turks!" he yelled just before throwing himself over the side of the platform.

At first I thought he purposely committed suicide. But then I noticed he had jumped into another helicopter.

I went back to trying to stop the self-destruct sequence on the console. "Cloud! I don't know how to stop this!"

He came up beside me and inspected the console. "It's not a time bomb."

The helicopter drew closer and someone stood in the open door. "That's right. You'll have a hard time disabling the self-destruct sequence. It'll blow the second you try tampering with it."

"Shut yer hole!" Barret fired at the helicopter.

Just then the Shinra executive pulled someone next to him. "I wouldn't try that…You just might make me injure our special guest."

I recognized the red-haired girl in the pink dress. "Aeris," I cried out.

"Oh, you know each other? How nice you could see each other one last time. You should thank me."

Cloud stepped forward. "What are you gonna do with her?"

"I haven't decided. Our orders were to find and catch the last remaining Ancient. It's taken us a long time, but now I can finally report this to the President."

"Tifa, don't worry!" Aeris yelled down. "She's all right!"

The Shinra executive slapped Aeris across the face.

She fell on the floor of the helicopter, but managed to sit up. "Hurry and get out!" she yelled.

The helicopter flew away.

Barret ran to the other side of the pillar platform and waved us over. "Yo, we can use this cable to get out!"

Cloud grabbed the thick cable further up from where Barret had a grip on it and he grabbed me around the waist. He signaled to Barret and the three of us swung off the pillar platform.

We landed in a sandbox at the center of playground in Sector 6, just inside the perimeter. Seconds later we stared in horror as an explosion destroyed the Sector 7 support pillar. The top plate groaned and in agonizing slow motion it fell on top of the slums, crushing everything and everyone below.

When the dust settled, I placed a hand on my chest, devastated by the sight in front of me.

Barret ran forward but was blocked by the plate that crashed down. "Marlene! MARLENE!!" He started pulling pieces of debris away. But there wasn't anything he could do to save the people that had been crushed beneath the plate.

Cloud and I couldn't do anything but watch him continue to push debris aside.

"Biggs! Wedge! Jessie! Dammit! Goddammit!! DAMMIT ALL TO HELL! What the hell're we fighting for!? ARGHHHH!"

Cloud moved toward Barret. " Barret!"

I followed behind him. "Barret, stop…Please stop!"

Barret fired his gunarm into the debris, scattering pieces into the air. "Goddamn…Marlene…" He stopped firing and dropped to his knees in sorrow.

I slowly approached him and touched his shoulder. "Barret…Marlene is…I think Marlene is safe."

He spun around to face me. "Huh?"

"Right before they took Aeris, she said, don't worry, she's all right. She was probably talking about Marlene."

"R…really!?"

"But…"

Barret swallowed a lump in his throat. "Biggs…Wedge…Jessie…"

Cloud kicked at some debris before he glanced at Barret. "They didn't make it out."

"Think I don't know that? But...we…all of us fought together. I don't wanna think of them as dead!"

I turned to look at the devastation again. "…and all the people in Sector 7."

"This is all screwed up! They destroyed an entire city just to get to us! They killed so many people…"

I frowned. "Are you saying it's our fault? Because AVALANCHE was here? Innocent people lost their lives because of us?"

"No, Tifa! That ain't it! Hell no! It ain't us! It's that damned Shinra! It's never been nobody but the Shinra! They're evil and destroyin' our planet just to…to build their power and line their damn pockets with gold! If we don't get rid of them, they're gonna kill this planet! Our fight ain't never gonna be over until we get rid of them!!"

"I don't know," I said and shook my head.

"What don't you know? You don't believe me?"

"It's not that. I'm not sure…I don't know how I feel right now. This is just so…crazy." There wasn't any time to grieve for the friends we lost or the people we didn't even know.

"An' what about you?" Barret directed at Cloud.

Cloud didn't respond. He just stared at Barret before walking away.

"Yo! Where's he think he's goin'?"

After one final glance at the fallen plate, I turned and followed Cloud out of the playground.

* * *

_Please review! Thanks!_


	7. Chapter 7

_Author's Note – I know I promised updates every other day, but as everyone knows, every day life always gets in the way of our passions. Besides that, my internet service has been extremely slow. It's time to trade in the old satellite for wireless. _

**

* * *

**

Chapter 7

**EDGE – the present**

"Why does there have to be a reason?" I mumbled _his words_ to myself as I angrily threw things into a suitcase. "I'll give you a reason…see how you manage without me around…" I knew I wasn't going to fit everything I owned into one piece of luggage. But I didn't care. I didn't need everything.

I dragged the overloaded suitcase down the stairs, tears blinding my vision all the way down. In the laundry room, I rummaged through a pile of boxes and ripped off a piece of the top. With a black marker, I wrote a message on the cardboard.

'CLOSED FOR REMODELING'

I stomped through the dining area of the tavern. After taping my hastily written sign on the front door, I went back into the kitchen and grabbed the phonebook. As I searched for the phone number of the taxi company, images of Marlene and Denzel popped into my mind.

Who would be here to let them in? What if it rained and they were stuck outside until Cloud got home? What if he didn't come home until later in the night? What if Marlene and Denzel got pneumonia from being out in the rain?

No, I wasn't going down that guilt trip. Besides, Denzel had a key to the back door.

I dialed the taxi company and asked for an immediate pickup.

The cab arrived within ten minutes. I dragged my suitcase to the curb and the driver loaded it into the trunk.

After we both got inside, he glanced over his shoulder. "Where to, Miss?"

Funny how I didn't even have a plan once I had made the last-minute decision to leave. Where the hell was I going? I said the first thing that popped into my head. "Train station." That was a good enough start.

It took only fifteen minutes to get there. I paid the driver and dragged my suitcase to the ticket window of the station.

"Destination, please?" asked the woman behind the glass.

Another decision to make. What were my options? Kalm, Fort Condor or Junon. From any of those places I could take a boat to another continent. "Fort Condor. No, wait…Junon."

"That'll be one hundred fifty gil."

I paid her and took my ticket.

As I sat at the station, waiting for the train to arrive, that guilty feeling began creeping in again.

Marlene and Denzel would blame Cloud. Especially after the conversation we had the night before when Marlene asked if Cloud and I were going to get married. They'd probably give him all kinds of grief. In fact, I was pretty sure everyone would give him grief. But they'd all figure out the reason I left.

The only one that probably wouldn't get it was Cloud.

"_Why does there have to be a reason, Tifa? I said we both need a break. Isn't that enough?"_

It was like trying to swallow a sea urchin, its pointy spikes sticking into the sensitive areas of my throat. I couldn't take it anymore. I completely lost every ounce of faith I had in Cloud. It evaporated…poof. Nothing existed between us except friendship. I wanted more and he didn't. A chunk of my heart was stuck on the heel of his boot and he kept stomping on it with every step he took. If I stayed I'd probably snap…and I didn't want to babble like a raving lunatic in front of Marlene and Denzel. I needed to get away…from him. My heart had no chance of healing in Cloud's presence. I'd never get over him if I continued to torture myself into believing there'd ever be any genuine romance between us.

A violent pain seized my chest, clenching it as tight as a vice.

Would I ever really get over him? I already felt empty inside, like I was leaving my soul behind, to simply exist in the outer shell of myself. Without emotion, without feeling…nothing. No, not without emotion. If that were the case then tears wouldn't be burning my eyes at the moment.

Why did I have to be so in love with him?

The train rushed into the station and slowed to a stop with a loud hiss of steam.

The conductor stepped out of the last car. "All aboard!" As people standing around the station moved toward the train, he took their tickets.

I couldn't move. My butt was frozen to the bench. My feet wouldn't move. My brain wouldn't function.

A shadow fell across my line of vision. I looked up and stared at the man in front of me.

"Miss? Are you alright?" It was the conductor. When I didn't respond, he tilted his head. "Are you getting on the train?"

"Yes," I managed to croak out.

He smiled. "Let me help you." He took my suitcase and walked away with it.

Now I didn't have a choice. I forced my unwilling body to move, to follow my belongings as they were carried onboard the train.

I took a seat as far away from everyone as I could possibly be. I needed the solitude. What I didn't need was someone thinking they could strike up a conversation with me. I wasn't in the mood to talk. All I wanted to do was curl up into a ball and feel sorry for myself.

But instead I decided to torture myself further. I reached into my oversized purse and pulled out a small book. After opening it to a certain page, I gently picked up the small dried yellow flower I kept pressed between the pages. It had been a spontaneous gift from Cloud a couple years ago. I later learned he had bought it from Aeris the first time he met her on the streets. Despite the implication and my continued belief that he and Aeris had some kind of intimate interaction, I had kept the flower anyway.

I raised the dried flower to my nose. Some of its scent still lingered, but it would eventually fade completely. In a way it reminded me of the relationship I had with Cloud…lingering but doomed to fade.

**

* * *

**

MIDGAR, SECTOR FIVE – the past

Cloud led Barret and I to a house in Sector 5. It stood overlooking a large garden not too far away, the only garden I had seen in the cold steel environment that made up Midgar.

"What is this place?" asked Barret.

Cloud continued forward. "Elmyra lives here. She's Aeris's mother. I'm almost positive this is where Aeris took Marlene." He knocked on the front door.

A few seconds later the door was opened by a middle-aged woman. "Cloud…isn't it?"

I noticed the sorrowful look on Cloud's face and knew it would be hard for him to break the news to her.

"It's about Aeris, isn't it?" She stepped away from the door and allowed us to enter her house.

"I'm sorry, Elmyra," Cloud finally said. "The Shinra have her."

She nodded her head. "I know. They took her from here."

Cloud frowned. "They were here?"

"I don't understand. Why is Shinra after Aeris?" I asked.

"Aeris is an Ancient," replied Elmyra. "The sole survivor."

"But, aren't you…her mother?" asked Barret.

"Not her real mother. Oh…it must have been 15 years ago…during the war. My husband was sent to the front. Some faraway place called Wutai."

We all sat down in the living room as she told her story.

"One day I got a letter saying my husband was coming home on leave. So I went to the station to meet him. But he never came off the train. I wondered if something happened to him and thought maybe his leave had been cancelled. I went to the station every day. Then one day…I found an injured woman there. Her last words were, please take Aeris somewhere safe. My husband never came back. I had no child. I was so lonely. So I decided to take her home with me. Aeris and I became close very quickly. That child loved to talk. She used to talk to me about everything. She told me she escaped from some kind of research laboratory somewhere and that her mother had already returned to the planet, so she wasn't lonely. She talked about so many other things."

"What'd she mean by returned to the planet?" asked Barret.

"I didn't know what she meant. I asked if she meant a star in the sky, but she said it was this planet. She was a mysterious child in many ways." Elmyra stared out of her window as she continued her story. "One day, when Aeris was still very young, she came to me and told me not to cry. I asked her why she thought I'd cry. Of all things, she said someone dear to me just died and that his spirit returned to the planet. I didn't know what to make of it at the time. Several days later…I received a letter saying my husband died." She smiled sadly. "And that's how it was. A lot happened throughout the years, but we were happy."

"When did Shinra start pursuing her?" Cloud asked.

"Tseng of the Turks came to the house one day and told me to return Aeris to them. He said she was a very special child, with special blood and that her real mother was an Ancient. In his own words, he said the Ancients knew of a land of supreme happiness and that Aeris would be able to bring happiness to all those in the slums. Aeris denied everything, even denied she could hear voices when she was alone. But I knew. I knew about her mysterious powers…She tried so hard to hide it, so I acted as though I never noticed."

"She managed to avoid the Shinra all these years," I said. "How did they happen to get her now?"

"She brought a little girl here with her," said Elmyra. "On the way here, Tseng found them. She probably couldn't get away fast enough. She decided to go with the Shinra in exchange for the little girl's safety."

Barret sighed. "Marlene. Aeris was caught because of Marlene? I'm sorry. Marlene's my daughter. I'm…really…sorry…"

"You're her father? How in the world could you ever leave a child alone like that?"

"I know, I think about it all the time. What would happen to Marlene, if I…" He shook his head in despair. "I don't got an answer. I wanna be with Marlene…But I gotta fight. 'Cause if I don't…the planet's gonna die. So I'm gonna keep fightin'! But, I'm worried 'bout Marlene. I really just wanna be with her…always. See? I'm goin' in circles now."

"I think I understand what you're saying…She's upstairs asleep, why don't you go and see her."

Cloud and I followed Barret upstairs.

In a small bedroom Marlene sat up in bed as Barret walked inside. "Papa!" She jumped out of the bed and rushed over to him.

Barret hugged her. "I thought I lost you. I'm so glad you're all right…"

"Don't cry. Your whiskers hurt!"

Barret turned to Cloud as we stepped in the room. "You gonna help Aeris, right? She's done so much for me…If it's the Shinra you're dealin' with, I can't just sit here! I'm comin' too!" He hugged Marlene one last time before walking out of the room.

Marlene looked shyly at Cloud. "Guess what? Guess what, Cloud? Aeris was asking me lots of questions about you. Like what kind of person you are. I bet she likes you, Cloud."

Cloud gave me a brief glance before turning back to Marlene. "You think so?"

I cleared my throat and gave him a dirty look.

Cloud turned toward the door, giving me a crooked smile. "Come on, let's go." He waited until I was following behind him before he continued down the stairs. "We're going right to Shinra Headquarters. We gotta be prepared for the worst."

"I'm ready."

When we walked back into the living room, Barret was talking to Elmyra.

"I would really appreciate if you could take care of Marlene a bit longer."

Elmyra smiled. "I don't mind at all."

"This place is too dangerous now. You better go somewhere else."

"You're right. But promise me that you'll come back to her. Don't get yourself killed."

The three of us walked out of Elmyra's house and headed toward Sector 6.

"How do we get to the Shinra building?" I asked.

"There ain't no train that goes up there anymore…" added Barret.

Cloud didn't have any answers. He just kept walking with determination.

I sighed. "Well, let's just go to Wall Market. We might be able to find something there."

**

* * *

**

WALL MARKET – the past

When we got to Wall Market, we went into the Weapon's Shop to see if we could upgrade our equipment. I bought a Metal Knuckle and Barret bought a new Assault Gun fitted to his arm.

As we paid for our items, the clerk gave us a cursory once-over. "You goin' up to the plate?"

"What's it to you?" Cloud asked suspiciously.

"You better buy some batteries." He reached under the counter and pulled out a box containing the batteries.

Cloud frowned when he picked one of them up. "You're gonna sell me something that's been used? How do I know they work?"

"I repaired them myself, so they're all right."

"Why do I need a battery to climb up to the plate?"

"You'll find out when you get there."

Cloud glanced at me and Barret. "Whatta you think?"

I shrugged. "Better to be safe than sorry."

"I'll sell them to you for 100 gil each," said the clerk.

Cloud turned back to the clerk. "Fine. Give me three of them."

After we walked out of the Weapon's Shop, we noticed a bunch of kids excitedly running through a hole in a cracked wall. We followed them. On the other side was a thick cable that hung down from somewhere on the upper plate.

"Hey, kid," Cloud called out. "What're you looking at?"

The kid pointed to the cable. "Everyone climbed up that way. It leads to the Upper World."

"Can we climb it?" I asked Cloud and Barret.

Barret grinned. "You know what that looks like to me? A golden shiny wire of hope."

Cloud rolled his eyes. "That's gotta be the dumbest analogy ever, Barret, but I get your meaning. Let's go!"

We started climbing the cable. Along the way we came across some obstacles. Some of the platforms weren't connected and the power switches weren't working. Cloud produced the batteries and placed them in the control boxes. With that we were able to maneuver the platforms on our way to the upper plate.

**

* * *

**

SHINRA HEADQUARTERS – the past

Once we reached the top plate, we walked through some massive power lines that were taller than Barret. Finally we were within sight of the front entrance of the tall Shinra building.

"Hey, Cloud, you oughta know this building well," said Barret as we remained in the shadows to inspect the immediate area.

"Actually, I don't. This is the first time I've ever been to the Headquarters."

"I heard about this place before," Barret continued. "Every floor above the 60th is special and not easy to get to even for employees. Must be where they took Aeris. The security's pretty light now. Let's go!"

I grabbed Barret's arm before he could move out of the shadows. "Wait a second! We can't just barge in through the main entrance."

"Why the hell not? I wanna kick some Shinra ass and…"

"That's not going to work! We've got to find another way!"

"Ain't gonna be no other way! If we keep wastin' time like this, Aeris'll…"

"I know that! But if we get caught here…Cloud, what should we do?"

"Tifa's right. We need to go in quietly."

"See?"

Barret didn't look happy as we strolled peacefully through the main entrance and went up to the receptionist.

"Do you people have an appointment?" she asked suspiciously.

Before Cloud and I could stop him, Barret jumped forward. "Don't need no appointment…This is an emergency! Anyone who don't want their face bashed in better git outta the way!!"

The plan had been to distract the receptionist after she told us to wait in the lobby. Unfortunately Barret blew that plan when he opened his mouth.

The receptionist screamed and yelled out. "You're that terrorist group! AVALANCHE!"

Shinra guards ran out of another room and we had to fight them. All fifteen of them.

After what seemed like hours, we finished them off and headed toward the elevators. We jumped into one of them and Cloud pushed the button for the top floor.

He shook his head in disgust.

"What's wrong, Cloud?" I asked.

"I didn't want to start a ruckus until after we saved Aeris. I should have known that was impossible though…" He glared in Barret's direction.

Barret chuckled and grinned.

"Why're you staring at me like that, Barret? You're giving me the creeps."

"Thought you didn't care about nobody. I'm impressed."

Cloud looked annoyed. "Who cares if you're impressed…?"

"Ya know, I ain't so good at sayin' this, but…Sorry…for lotsa things."

The uncomfortable moment was disrupted by a siren wailing loudly inside the small elevator compartment.

Barret covered his ears. "Shit! Cloud, stop this thing at any floor! I don't care!"

Cloud pushed a bunch of buttons. The elevator stopped and the doors opened. On the other side of the doors stood four Shinra guards. We ducked their gunfire and Cloud pushed another button. The doors closed and the elevator started climbing again. At the next floor we ran into more guards. It was the same for the next five floors the elevator stopped at until we got to the 59th floor. This elevator didn't go any higher.

"We have to get to that other elevator," I pointed. At the other end of the large room was another set of elevators, which had to be the ones that went to the upper levels.

"Hang on," said Cloud, walking up to me and inspecting a ribbon of blood trailing down my arm.

I tried to shake it off, but in truth I hadn't even noticed the pain until now. "It's nothing."

"Just let me check it," he insisted. "I wanna make sure you don't have a bullet in you." Cloud poked and prodded my arm for a minute before summoning a healing spell using the green materia attached to his wrist guard.

The pain vanished immediately.

"Is that better?" he asked.

"Yeah, it feels great." I looked at him strangely, wondering where he had learned to use materia so skillfully. But then I remembered he was a First Class SOLDIER. He obviously learned all he needed to know at the academy.

"Okay, let's go."

We proceeded out of a room and engaged more security guards. When the last of them went down, we quickly went through their pockets and came up with a Keycard. It proved useful to access the 60th floor in the elevator, but it wouldn't allow us to go to any of the other floors.

After maneuvering through a maze of rooms, we found a room with an escalator.

"Okay! We gonna rock!" said Barret.

"Remember, we're here to save Aeris," I reminded him before he went off on another tangent.

"Hell, I know that!"

The three of us headed up the escalator to the 61st floor. When we didn't find anything, we went to the next floor…until we were on the 66th one.

The only thing of interest was a restroom with an air duct above one of the stalls.

Cloud looked at each of us. "Whatta you think?"

I shrugged. "Might as well."

Cloud helped Barret into the air duct first. Then Barret pulled me up by the arms. Cloud climbed in after me.

We proceeded down several ducts until we heard some voices echoing. Cloud pointed the way and we crawled in the direction of the sounds. The voices were coming through a vent up ahead. When we reached the vent, we positioned ourselves around it and looked down.

It was a conference room and of all the luck, President Shinra was there. I also recognized the others from their images on the news and in the papers. Reeve, Heidegger, Palmer and Scarlett.

Reeve was speaking when we got there. "We have the damage estimates for Sector 7. Considering those factories we already set up and all the investments, the estimated cost to rebuild Sector 7 is…"

"We're not rebuilding," the President interrupted.

"What?"

"We're leaving Sector 7 as it is. And restarting the Neo-Midgar plan."

"…then the Ancients?"

"The Promised Land will soon be ours. I want you to raise the Mako rates 15 in every area."

"Rate hike!" said Heidegger. "Rate hike! Tra, la, la! And please include our Space Program in the budget!"

The President turned to Reeve. "You and Scarlet will divide the extra income from the rate increase."

"Sir," replied Reeve. "If you raise the rates, the people will lose confidence…"

"Don't worry about it. The citizens are too ignorant. They won't lose confidence. They'll trust Shinra, Inc even more."

Palmer started laughing. "After all, we're the ones who destroyed AVALANCHE!"

Barret shook his fist. "That dirty shit."

Someone in a white lab coat entered the room.

I noticed Cloud frown at the appearance of the man.

"Hojo. How's the girl?" asked President Shinra.

"As a specimen, she is inferior to her mother. I'm still in the process of comparing her to Ifalna, but for now the difference is 18."

"How long will the research take?"

"Probably 120 years. Not in our life time. Or in the lifetime of the specimen for that matter. That's why we're thinking of breeding her. Then we could create one that could withstand our research for a long time."

"What about the Promised Land? Won't it hinder our plans?"

"I need to figure that out still. The mother was strong…and yet this one seems to have all her weaknesses."

President Shinra sighed. "Do whatever you must to make it happen. That concludes our meeting."

Everyone left the room.

Cloud looked up at Barret and I. "They were talking about Aeris…right?"

"Probably," I replied. "Did you recognize that man, Cloud? The one in the lab coat?"

Cloud nodded. "Yeah. Professor Hojo."

"I know him, too," said Barret. "He's in charge of Shinra's Science Department."

We proceeded down the air duct until we were back at the restroom. From there we headed down the corridor and spotted Hojo again. He went into the room with the escalator and we followed him up to the 67th floor. After following Hojo down several more corridors, we went through a door that led to a laboratory containing different sized crates and equipment.

We quickly hid behind some crates when someone else entered the room.

"Is this today's specimen?" the unknown man asked.

"Yes," said Hojo. "We're starting right away. Raise it to the upper level. My precious specimen…" He looked at something inside a glass chamber before walking away in the opposite direction the other man went.

When they were both gone, I stepped out from behind the crates and walked up to the glass chamber. Inside was a red-furred creature. "Precious specimen…? Is it going to be used for a biological experiment?"

From the corner of my eye, I saw Cloud walk to a steel tank attached to the wall. He glanced through a glass panel. "Jenova…"

When I saw him stumble backward and fall to his knees, I rushed over to him. "Cloud!"

He bend forward, covering his head with his arms. "Jenova…Sephiroth's…They…they brought it here."

"Cloud, are you all right?"

He pulled away from me and slowly stood up. "Did you see it?"

Barret turned to the tank. "See what?"

"It's moving…is it still alive?"

Barret peered through the glass panel. "Where's its fucking head?"

A cold chill shot through my spine. Whatever was in that tank, without a head, was making Cloud nervous. "Let's just find Aeris and get out of this place."

We walked to a freight elevator and took it to the 68th floor.

When the folding door opened, Cloud ran forward. "Aeris!"

It was too late for any of us to realize that Hojo was in the room.

"Aeris? Oh, is that her name?" Then he noticed we weren't Shinra staff. "What do you want?"

Cloud moved toward Hojo. "We're taking Aeris back."

"Intruders…"

Barret moved beside Cloud and aimed his mechanical arm gun at Hojo.

"Are you going to kill me? I don't think so. The equipment in this room is extremely delicate. Without me, who could operate it?"

Cloud nudged Barret's gunarm aside.

"That's right," Hojo continued. "I recommend you think things through logically before you make any rash moves." He motioned to someone in a glass-enclosed control room. "Bring in the specimen!"

A floor panel opened up inside the glass chamber that Aeris was in. Just then the red beast from the level below jumped through the hole.

Aeris screamed. "Cloud, help!"

Cloud rushed toward the glass chamber. "What're you doing?"

"Lending a helping hand to an endangered species. Both of them are on the brink of extinction. If I don't help, these animals will disappear."

I felt another chill shoot up my spine. "Animals? Aeris is a human being! Are you crazy?"

Inside the chamber, the four-legged beast was about to pounce on Aeris as she cowered on the floor near the glass.

Cloud turned to Barret. "Do something! Shoot the glass!"

Barret raised his gunarm. "Awright! Step back!"

Hojo raised his arms. "No! Stop!"

Barret shot at the glass door.

Hojo rushed forward. "What are you doing…Oh! My precious specimens…"

Just as the glass door shattered, the red four-legged beast jumped out and tackled Hojo.

Ignoring the attacking creature, Cloud went into the chamber to help Aeris out. But suddenly he backed away from the chamber, keeping Aeris behind him.

"Cloud…what's wrong?" I asked.

"The elevator…it's moving."

The red beast raised its head. "I know what's coming. They're rather strong. I can help you fight them."

I gasped and took a step back from the beast. "It talked!"

The beast nudged the unconscious professor aside. "This man called me Red XIII."

"Fine, you wanna help?" asked Cloud. "We can use it."

We all stood side by side, waiting to see what came up in the elevator. Then I wished I had never seen it. It looked like an experiment gone wrong. And not only that, it had three little round minions with a huge eye.

It took awhile to kill the things. While Cloud, Barret, Red XIII and I fought them, Aeris remained behind us, casting a healing spell every time one of us received an injury. I was surprised, but grateful she had the ability.

When we finally defeated the creatures, Cloud turned to Aeris. "Are you all right?"

Aeris nodded. "I'm fine. I'm just glad you came for me."

Red XIII shook his head. "I apologize for what happened back there. I was merely acting to throw Hojo off guard. I never would have attacked you."

"What are you?" asked Barret.

"An informed question, but difficult to answer. I am what you see."

Barret rolled his eyes. "Alright, we've saved Aeris, so there ain't no need to be is this building! So let's get the hell outta here!"

"We need to split up," suggested Cloud. "If all five of us are together, we'll be noticed." Cloud grabbed my arm and pulled me away from the others.

"Meet us on the 66th floor," Red XIII called out. "That's where the elevator is!"

As Cloud and I headed out of the laboratory, my thoughts jumped to Professor Hojo. Somehow or another, I had a feeling it had been a bad idea leaving the leech alive.

* * *

_I always appreciate your feedback._


	8. Chapter 8

_Author's Note – I've had a couple of reviews asking me to make the present story longer. To be honest, the real reason I'm doing this fic is to elaborate on the game story. The present story is just an added bonus. I've completed this fic in its entirety, but I always reread my chapters before posting them to check for misspellings and such. However, given the fact that most of you like the present story better, after this chapter I will go back to the drawing board and change it around to put more emphasis on the present. Just know that the chapters may end up being quite long because if you've played the game, you know how long the game story is._

_Your feedback is always welcome and as always, I will make every effort to comply._

**

* * *

**

Chapter 8

**JUNON – the present**

Three hours later the train pulled into the Junon station.

Besides me, there were only a few people getting off the train. I picked up my heavy suitcase and followed everyone out. A minute later the train pulled away to continue on to its next destination.

I glanced around as the other people went on their way, leaving me standing alone at the quiet train station. A clock on the wall of the station building told me it was 6:15pm. The sky would be growing dark soon.

Marlene and Denzel would already be home and by this time probably wondering where the heck I was.

Guilt. It was eating away at me like cancer. Maybe I shouldn't have left. Maybe I was being selfish and stupid.

I tried to convince myself that what I was doing wasn't childish. Running away…maybe it wasn't such a good idea.

I needed to just go home.

I walked to the station window and the bored employee sighed and walked over to help me. "What time is the next train to Edge?" I asked.

"Didn't you just get off the train from there?"

"Yes."

When I didn't offer any further explanation, she glanced at something pinned to the wall beside her. "Not until tomorrow at noon."

"When's the next train coming in and where's it going?"

"The next train comes in at 7:30pm and its headed for Fort Condor." She anticipated my next question. "The next one after that is at 8:15pm headed for Kalm. And that's it until tomorrow at noon."

"Thanks. I'll come back later." I dragged my suitcase down the sidewalk and glanced at the buildings across the street. There was a diner on the corner. I'd get something to eat and sit around until the train to Kalm arrived. From Kalm it would only be a two hour bus ride to Edge. I'd be back home by two in the morning. Alittle late, but at least I'd be home.

I walked across the street and entered the diner. It wasn't very busy, only three other people sitting around. I sat at a booth furthest away from everyone.

The waitress came over and handed me a menu. "Something to drink, hon?"

I needed something to keep me awake. "Coffee, please." After she walked away, I glanced at the menu and couldn't decide what to order. I really wasn't very hungry. But I had to order something or they'd boot me out of the place and I really didn't feel like sitting on a hard bench at the train station for two hours.

A minute later the waitress returned with my coffee. "All set to order?"

"Just a burger, please."

She nodded and took the menu from me. "Thanks, hon. It'll be up in about ten minutes."

I watched her walk away and turned to stare out the window, absently listening to the quiet conversations coming from the other patrons.

"Ever since the train station was built, this town has grown considerably," said someone.

"That's all well and good, but the military around here is getting too lax. Just last week two punks mugged me," said someone else.

Just then my cellphone rang. I pulled it out of my purse and looked at the display.

It was Cloud.

**

* * *

**

SHINRA HEADQUARTERS – the past

Cloud and I headed down the escalator to the 66th floor and ran down the corridor to the elevators. When the doors slid open, we went inside. Just as he was about to hit a button, two men suddenly entered behind us. One had a bald head and wore dark sunglasses. The other had long dark hair. Both of them wore the typical Turk uniform.

"Would you press 'Up' please?" asked the man with the sunglasses.

Cloud and I exchanged glances, knowing we were trapped. He pressed the button.

"It must have been a real thrill for you," said the dark-haired man. "Did you enjoy your little escapades?"

Cloud didn't respond. He reached for my hand and held it tightly.

A few minutes later we were led in handcuffs to a large office on the top floor of the Shinra building. Sitting behind an elaborate desk was President Shinra. Before Cloud or I could say anything, the rest of our group was dragged into the office.

Everyone except Aeris.

Cloud turned to Barret. "Where's Aeris?"

President Shinra stood up. "In a safe place. She's the last surviving Ancient…Didn't you know? They called themselves the Cetra and lived thousands of years ago. Now they're just a forgotten page in history."

"Cetra…" mumbled Red XIII before turning to the President. "That girl is a survivor of the Cetra?"

"Cetra or the Ancients. They can show us the way to the Promised Land. I'm expecting a lot out of her."

"The Promised Land?" Red XIII continued. "Isn't that just a legend?"

"Legend or not, it's just too appealing not to pursue. It's been said the Promised Land is very fertile. If the land is fertile…"

"Then there's gotta be Mako!" Barret concluded.

"Exactly. That's why our Mako Reactor is necessary. The abundant Mako will just come out on its own. That's where Neo-Midgar will be built. Shinra's new glory…"

"Shit! Quit dreamin'!"

"Oh really, don't you know? These days all it takes for your dreams to come true is money and power." President Shinra snapped his fingers. "That's all for now. I need to decide what I want to do with all of you."

The bald-headed Turk pushed Barret first. Several other guards appeared behind us.

"If there's anything else you need, talk to my secretary," we heard Shinra say as we were led away.

They brought us downstairs. They pushed Barret and Red XIII through the farthest door along a corridor. Aeris was led through another door. Cloud and I were thrown together through the middle door. The room was a small cell with a cot that folded down from the wall.

I sat down on the cot. "Now what're we going to do, Cloud?"

He shook his head. "I don't know. Let me think."

As I laid down on the cot, I could hear Barret rambling on through the wall.

"Aeris is an Ancient and the Ancients know where the Promised Land. I only heard stories 'bout the Promised Land. Don't know if it really exists. If it does exist and the Shinra get there, they'll suck up all the Mako energy. The land'll wither away and the Planet's gonna get weaker. I can't just leave 'em be. I'm recruitin' new members!! Me, Tifa, Cloud…and Aeris too. How 'bout you?"

I guessed he was talking to Red, who didn't respond.

"You're so damn boring."

"Grandpa…" Red XIII finally said.

"Grandpa!?" Barret muttered. "Ha, ha, ha…Grandpa, hmm…ha, ha, ha…"

"What's so funny?"

"Nothin'…ha, ha."

"Cloud, are you there?" It was Aeris in the next cell.

I turned my head and saw Cloud move closer to the wall.

"Are you okay in there?" he asked.

"Yeah, I'm all right. I knew you'd come for me."

Cloud leaned his back against the wall and closed his eyes. "Hey, I'm your bodyguard. I'm supposed to come to your rescue."

"The deal was for one date, right?"

I raised my head and noticed the hint of a smile on Cloud's lips. So that was it. He met her in the slums and helped her dodge the Turks. Now he was calling himself her bodyguard at the cost of a date. "Well, isn't that sweet," I said sarcastically.

"Tifa?" Aeris called out. "You're in there, too?"

Before we got into a debate about Cloud, I decided to ask my own questions. "So, tell us something, Aeris. Does the Promised Land really exist?"

"I don't know. All I know is the Cetra were born from the Planet, speak with the Planet, and unlock the Planet. And…then…the Cetra will return to the Promised Land. A land of supreme happiness."

"What does that mean?"

"I don't really know."

"Speak with the Planet?" mumbled Cloud.

"What does the Planet say?" I asked.

"It's too full of people and too noisy."

Cloud opened his eyes and turned toward the wall. "You hear it now?"

"I…I only heard it at the Church in the Slums. Mother said that Midgar was no longer safe. That is…my real mother. Someday I'll get out of Midgar…Speak with the Planet and find my Promised Land. That's what mom said. I thought I would stop hearing her voice as I grew up, but…" She fell silent after that.

Cloud turned back around and looked at me.

"Do you think we have a chance of getting out of here?" I asked him.

"Leave it to me." He slid down the wall and sat on the floor. "Let's just get some sleep."

I closed my eyes.

I wasn't sure how much time had passed when I felt my shoulder being shaken.

"Tifa…Wake up!"

I sat up and turned to Cloud. "What's wrong?" Then I noticed the cell door was open.

"Something's wrong," he said as he moved toward the doorway.

I followed him out of the cell and we stumbled upon a dead Shinra guard. He was mangled almost beyond recognition. I gasped. "What…what happened to him?"

"He should have the key on him."

We searched the guard's pockets. Cloud found the key and rushed to open the last cell door.

Barret rushed out and noticed the dead guard. "The hell's goin' on!?

Red XIII inspected the lethal wounds on the body. "No human could've done this." He ran ahead down the corridor and turned the corner.

After Cloud opened Aeris's cell door, we went in the direction Red XIII had gone and found him in the large room where we had first seen him in the glass chamber. The door of the tank that had held the Jenova specimen was ripped completely off and there was a large splatter of blood on the floor that trailed in the opposite direction.

"The Jenova specimen…" said Red XIII. "Looks like it went to the upper floor using that elevator."

We followed the trail to the elevator and took it up to the next floor. In the laboratory, there were several bodies strewn about on the floor, torn apart like the guard. We continued to follow the blood trail to the other side of the laboratory and went out the door. It led up the escalator to the 68th floor and finally to the President's office.

What we discovered shocked all of us. President Shinra was sitting in his chair, slumped forward on his desk, a large sword sticking out of his back.

"He's dead…" uttered Barret in disbelief. "The leader of Shinra is dead!"

I ran around the desk, just to check Shinra's pulse. I didn't expect to find one. The man was dead. I looked at the sword, recognizing it immediately. "This sword…it belongs to…"

"Sephiroth…" Cloud finished.

My jaw dropped. "Sephiroth is alive?"

"Looks like it. Only Sephiroth owns that kind of sword."

Barret stepped in. "Who cares who did it!? This is the end of the Shinra now!"

Palmer suddenly appeared from behind a column. "P…p…please, don't kill me!"

Cloud grabbed him by his shirt. "What happened?"

"Se…Sephiroth. Sephiroth came."

"You saw Sephiroth?"

"Yeah, I saw him! I saw him with my own eyes!"

Cloud shook him roughly. "You really saw him?"

"Yes, yes. Why would I lie to you at a time like this!? And I heard his voice too! He said something about not letting us have the Promised Land."

I turned to Aeris. "Does that mean the Promised Land really exists and Sephiroth's here to save it from Shinra?"

Barret frowned. "So he's a good guy then?"

Cloud released Palmer and shook his head. "Save the Promised Land? A good guy? No way!! I know him! Sephiroth's mission is different!"

A Shinra helicopter appeared outside of the office and Palmer ran for the door. As Palmer jumped into the helicopter, someone else stepped out. I recognized the young blonde man. It was President Shinra's son Rufus.

"Vice President Rufus," Barret sneered. "I forgot about that asshole."

As the five of us headed out onto the terrace, Rufus Shinra stopped in his tracks upon seeing us. "Who are you guys?"

"I'm Cloud, ex-SOLDIER First Class!"

"I'm from AVALANCHE!" yelled Barret.

"Same here!" I yelled next.

"A flower girl from the slums."

"A research specimen."

Rufus raised his eyebrows. "That's quite a crew. Well, I'm Rufus. The President of Shinra."

Barret shook his gunarm. "You only President 'cause yer old man died!"

"That's right. I'll let you hear my new appointment speech. Old man tried to control the world with money. It seems to have been working. The population thought that Shinra would protect them. Work at Shinra, get your pay. If a terrorist attacks, the Shinra army will help you. It looks perfect on the outside. But I do things differently. I'll control the world with fear. It takes too much to do it like my old man. A little fear will control the minds of the common people. There's no reason to waste money on them."

I rolled my eyes at Cloud. "Apparently he likes to make long speeches just like his father."

Cloud turned to Barret. "Get everyone outta this building!"

"What?" I yelled.

"Just go. I'll take care of him!"

Barret herded us off the terrace, leaving Cloud to fend for himself against Rufus. When I glanced one last time toward Cloud, I noticed a sleek black creature moving to stand beside Rufus. I had seen it before, a trained catlike creature called Dark Nation.

The rest of us headed down one level.

"No, Barret," I said before he could lead me down the escalator. "I'm waiting for Cloud."

"Tifa, he said to get everyone out."

"I'm not leaving without him. Go on ahead. I'm waiting."

Barret growled, but he led Aeris and Red XIII down the escalator.

When they were gone, I headed back to the duel stairways. I wasn't going to let Cloud fight against Rufus and Dark Nation by himself. He'd need my help. But just as I was about to go up the left staircase, Cloud was coming down the right one.

"Tifa! I thought I told you to get out of the building."

"What happened to Rufus?" I asked.

Cloud took my arm and led me away. "I couldn't finish him. Looks like this is gonna get complicated. Rufus seeks both the Promised Land and Sephiroth." Then he stopped in his tracks, something catching his eye. He turned back to me and pointed in the direction of the room with the escalator. "Go meet up with Barret and the others. I'll be down in a few minutes."

I watched him move toward one of the many displays on each of the floors. The one that caught his eye had a motorcycle in it. Cloud always did like two-wheeled vehicles over automobiles. I shook my head with a sigh and headed down the escalator.

When I finally reached the ground level, it looked as if I had gotten there in the nick of time. Barret was about to go out the front entrance and confront a horde of Shinra guards waiting for us. "Barret! Wait!"

All eyes turned to me as I approached.

"Tifa! Where's Cloud?" Barret asked.

I spotted a vehicle resting on a platform. It was a small pickup truck. "Come on, this way!"

Barret and the others followed. "What's up? Where's Cloud?"

"Don't worry about Cloud. Just get in."

I jumped into the driver's seat and Aeris took the seat next to me. There wasn't any more room inside the tiny compartment. Barret and Red XIII hopped into the back of the small pickup. I hotwired the engine and it roared to life.

Just as I drove off the platform, Cloud made his grand appearance, coming down the staircase on the large motorcycle. He passed in front of us and led the way through a maze of corridors. Finally he paused, revved the engine and shot forward.

I gasped as he drove toward a large window and crashed through it. A few feet from the building was the freeway. He landed smoothly on the surface.

"Hang on tight, everyone!" I pushed the accelerator down to the floor and followed the same path. The pickup was airborne for about five seconds before we landed safely on the freeway next to Cloud.

But we weren't out of the clear yet. Four Shinra guards on motorcycles were headed toward us.

As we raced down the freeway, Barret picked off the Shinra guards, while Cloud used his buster sword. It was an easy victory…until we reached the end of the incomplete freeway.

Waiting for us was a huge tank with six spiked wheels. It suddenly rose up to a height of fifteen feet and blasted us with a flamethrower. Luckily Red XIII was quick enough to caste a Barrier spell around all of us or we would have been fried.

It took a while, but Fire, Ice and Lightning materia spells worked wonders on the thing.

When the battle was over, we all sighed in relief and looked at one another.

"Well, what do we do now?" asked Barret.

"Sephiroth is alive," said Cloud. "I…I have to settle the score."

"And that'll save the Planet?"

"Maybe…"

"Awright, I'm going!"

"I'll go, too," said Aeris. "I have things I need to find out."

Cloud turned to her. "About the Ancients?"

"About many things."

I glanced toward the circular city we were about to leave. "I guess this is good bye, Midgar."

We climbed down from the freeway ramp using a rope.

Barret stopped in front of us. "Hang on. We need someone in charge of this journey. 'Course only I could be the leader."

I gave Barret a skeptical look. "You really think so?"

Aeris motioned her head toward Cloud. "I think it should be Cloud."

Cloud frowned at Aeris, but then shrugged.

Barret kicked a stone near his toe. "Shit…awright. Let's head for Kalm then."

I watched Cloud closely as we left the perimeter of Midgar. Without even asking him, I knew what was going through his mind. He wondered if he could really be a leader. Being an ex-SOLDIER, out of any of us, he had the most training. But I knew he still doubted himself.

**

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**

KALM – the past

Cloud and I had never been to Kalm, so we took a brief tour, checking out the Weapon and Materia shops for things that might come in handy during our quest to find Sephiroth.

"It's really quiet in this town," I said as we headed toward the Inn where the others were probably waiting. "Kinda reminds me of Nibelheim."

"A lot has happened since then, Tifa."

"I know."

After entering the Inn, we headed upstairs. Aeris, Red XIII and Barret were relaxing in the room that contained two beds.

"Yo man, you're late." muttered Barret as he sat down on one of the beds.

Aeris sat down beside him. "I guess we're all present now."

"So let's hear your story," Barret directed at Cloud. "You know, the one about Sephiroth and the crisis facing the planet. Let's hear it all."

Cloud sat beside me on the other bed while Red XIII sat on the floor facing Cloud. "I used to want to be like Sephiroth so I joined SOLDIER. After working with Sephiroth on several missions, we became friends."

"You call that a friend?" Barret interjected.

"Yeah, well…He's older than me and although he hardly ever talked about himself, we trusted each other. Until one day…"

"One day?" Aeris prompted when Cloud stopped talking.

"After the war it was SOLDIER's duty to put down any resistance against the Shinra. That was five years ago. I was sixteen…We were in the back of the truck, me and Seph and two guards. One of them had motion sickness and I was trying to help him while Sephiroth briefed us about the mission. We were to investigate an old Mako Reactor. Apparently there were reports of it malfunctioning and producing brutal creatures. Our job was to locate the problem and neutralize it."

"Brutal creatures…Where?" asked Aeris.

"The Mako Reactor at Nibelheim. It's my hometown."

My eyes instantly darted to Cloud. Nibelheim? But he had never returned to Nibelheim during that crisis. Instead of questioning him in front of the others, I decided to let him continue and see what else he'd say.

"Something crashed into our truck and we went out to see what it was. Sephiroth didn't need any help. He defeated the monster by himself. Sephiroth's strength is unreal. He's far stronger in reality than any story you might have heard about him."

"So what happened next?" Aeris prompted again.

"Sephiroth asked me how it felt to be back home after so long. He said he wouldn't ever know the feeling because he didn't have a hometown. I asked him about it and he said his mother, Jenova, died right after she gave birth to him and he never knew his father."

"Jenova," Barret grunted. "That's the damned headless spook livin' in the Shinra building."

"That's right."

I gave Barret a dirty look. "Would you please let Cloud talk? You can ask questions later." I turned to Cloud. "Go ahead, Cloud."

Cloud gave me a small smile. "I was really surprised to see Tifa again and that she was our guide to the reactor on the mountain. When Sephiroth and I were in the Inn, he stared out the window for the longest time. He said the scenery looked familiar, like he somehow knew the place. In the morning Tifa led us through the mountain pass. We lost one of the guards when the bridge collapsed. Later we got to the reactor. Sephiroth and I went inside alone."

I frowned at his version of the story. Cloud didn't go into the reactor with Sephiroth. Zack Fair had gone with him. But I kept silent as Cloud continued.

"We found the reason for the malfunction and I fixed it. Then Sephiroth started talking about Professor Hojo and someone named Professor Gast. He said Hojo put something in the compartments that were used to enhance the abilities of SOLDIERs. I looked through the window of one of the compartments. The creature I saw inside was once human, a SOLDIER exposed to high levels of Mako…more than either me or Seph. Hojo was creating these monsters inside some of the reactors."

Barret slammed his fist on the bed, making Aeris bounce slightly. "Damn, Shinra! The more I hear, the more I hate 'em!"

I shook my head in shock. "Who would have ever thought the Mako Reactors held such a secret?"

Red XIII gave a nod. "That explains the increase in the number of monsters recently. I think we should listen carefully to the rest of Cloud's story."

Aeris turned to me. "So, Tifa, you were waiting outside then?"

The question caught me by surprise. But there was only one way to answer. "Yes." It was the truth afterall. I turned to Cloud for a reaction, but he didn't seem to think there was anything wrong with his story…except I happened to know he wasn't even there.

"We returned to Nibelheim," Cloud continued. "Sephiroth wouldn't talk to me. He confined himself inside the Shinra mansion. When I went down to check on him, he was mumbling about a dead organism found in a 2000 year old geological stratum. Professor Gast named the organism Jenova. Sephiroth's mother's name was Jenova. Sephiroth didn't think it was just a coincidence. When he saw me, he called me a traitor, a predecessor of the people who took what the Cetra and the planet had made without giving back anything in return."

"What does Sephiroth have against the human race?" I asked, feeling a cold chill run through me at the memory of Sephiroth's destruction of my hometown.

"He told me that long ago, disaster struck the planet and while the planet was saved, the Cetra were sacrificed. After that humanity continued to increase and all that was left of the Cetra was in a bunch of reports he was looking through. I didn't understand what he was trying to tell me. He mentioned the Jenova Project, which involved producing people with the powers of the Cetra. Then he said he was one of the results."

"Sephiroth was produced?" asked Red XIII.

"He was convinced that Professor Gast, leader of the Jenova Project and genius scientist, produced him. After that Sephiroth left the basement of the mansion. When I followed him out, he was already destroying the Nibelheim. I tried to save some people from the burning houses. But it was too late." Cloud hung his head. "I went to the Reactor. Tifa was there. She had tried to take on Sephiroth by herself and he nearly killed her." He glanced toward me briefly before continuing with the story. "I followed Sephiroth further into the Reactor and stabbed him through the back with my sword. I thought I had beaten him. But he grabbed me with the same sword and ran it through my chest."

I followed him with my eyes as he got up from the bed and took several steps away.

"That's it. That's the story."

"What?" Barret hollered. "Wait a damn minute. Ain't there more?"

"I…I don't remember anymore," Cloud replied.

"What happened to Sephiroth?" Aeris asked.

"In terms of skill, I couldn't have possibly killed him."

I shook my head. "Official records stated Sephiroth was dead. I read it in the newspaper."

Barret snorted. "Shinra owns the paper. They could've printed any story they wanted."

Cloud spun around. "I want to know the truth. I challenged Sephiroth and lived. Why didn't I die?"

I got up and walked up to him. "I'm alive, too." None of the facts of his story made any sense to me. How could he have killed Sephiroth if he had been on another mission somewhere else? Zack had told me. Zack was the one in the Reactor so he had to be the one that killed Sephiroth. But Cloud seemed so convinced that he had been the one there. I almost started to believe his story myself.

Aeris shook her head. "Seems like a lot of this doesn't make sense. What about Jenova? It was in the Shinra building, right?"

Cloud nodded. "Shinra shipped it from Nibelheim to Midgar."

"Did someone else carry it out after that? It was missing from the Shinra building."

"Sephiroth?" I suggested.

Barret hopped on one of the beds. "This is damned confusing. I'm goin' to bed." He was snoring within seconds.

Cloud turned to me. "You and Aeris can have the other bed. I'll sleep on the chair over there."

Aeris and I laid down while Red XIII curled up on the floor between the two beds.

Cloud turned off the lamps before taking his seat on the chair near the window.

I watched him for awhile, his eyes glowing in the darkness.

Sometime in the middle of the night, a sound woke me. I raised my head and looked in the direction of the chair. But it was vacant. Cloud was gone. I carefully got out of bed, trying not to wake Aeris and tiptoed out of the room.

The hallway was dark. The only light came from underneath one of the doors.

I walked up to it and placed my ear to the wood. The sound of a running shower echoed through the door. There was no one else staying at the Inn and Barret and Aeris were both still asleep. It had to be Cloud.

When I turned the doorknob, I was surprised to find it unlocked. So I stepped inside the steam-filled bathroom.

"Cloud?" Hopefully no one else would respond.

"Tifa, you should be sleeping," he said.

"I couldn't sleep anymore."

He pushed the shower curtain aside. "How come?"

I shrugged and bit my lower lip. "Is there room for two in there?"

He snorted out a laugh. "Sure, I'll make room."

I undressed quickly and pushed the curtain aside to step into the shower cubicle.

Cloud was rinsing his hair under the water. When he finished, he reached out and pulled me toward him. He switched our positions so that I could get wet.

The water was warm and felt good on my back. I didn't get to enjoy it for long. Cloud had other ideas. He tilted my chin up and bent to kiss me. I nearly swooned. It felt like an eternity had passed since the last time we kissed, when in fact it had only been a couple of days. There just hadn't been any time.

As the kiss deepened, my hands automatically drifted up his bare chest. I was aware of my fingers seeking something on his skin…a scar…to prove that I was the one who was crazy, that it had been Cloud and not Zack in Nibelheim.

I touched something in the middle of his chest, between his ribcage.

I broke the kiss and looked down to where my fingers rested. There was a faint scar marring his skin. It was a couple inches long. I abruptly turned him around and found a similar scar on his back. It was just like he said…he had been run through with a sword…Sephiroth's sword.

But how could it be?

Did it matter?

I wrapped my arms around him from behind and kissed his shoulder. "Cloud? How badly was I injured when Sephiroth cut me?"

"I thought you were a goner. I was really upset."

I kissed his shoulder again.

Cloud turned around in my arms to face me. He captured my lips again, kissing me passionately.

No, it didn't matter. We were both alive and reunited. And soon the family Sephiroth stole from us…my father…Cloud's mother…all those that died in the Nibelheim crisis…they would be avenged.

The shower cubicle may have been small, but we made good use of the space…and the floor after that.

_

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_

Please review. Thanks.


	9. Chapter 9

_Author's Note – According to several reviews and PMs I received, I'm getting mixed feelings from everyone about whether or not to expand the present story. I think I'm going to just leave the present story the way it is. Changing it would only lessen the impact of the conflict I'm depicting in the relationship between Cloud and Tifa._

**

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**

Chapter 9

**JUNON – the present**

I flipped open the cellphone and put it to my ear. "Hello."

"Tifa, where the hell are you?"

I was surprised at the angry tone in Cloud's voice. No 'hello', no 'how're you doing'. I pretended to ignore his tone. "I'm obviously out right now."

"Marlene and Denzel are starving and you know I can't cook for shit."

"You'll have to deal with it, Cloud. I'll be home later."

"No, you gotta come home now."

Why was he being so demanding all of a sudden? "Excuse me?"

"And what's with the sign outside the door? We're not remodeling the bar."

"Well, I decided we are."

"Without consulting me?"

"Since when do you care about the bar?"

"I better see you walking through the damned door soon, Tifa…"

This was the first time Cloud had ever spoken with such abrupt hostility toward me. It really made me mad. I could almost feel the steam coming out of my ears. "I _said_ I'll be home later."

"Where are you?"

"I'm out."

"Yeah, I know. Out where?"

"I don't have to answer that."

"…" Silence.

"I'll be home later," I said for the third time, hoping the conversation was over.

"Where are you, Tifa?" he asked again, his tone becoming very serious.

"What is your problem, Cloud?"

"My problem? I don't have a problem. Why won't you tell me where you are?"

"You know what? I've had it. I'm not coming home tonight. And I'm not coming home tomorrow. In fact, I'm not coming home until I decide I'm coming home." So much for taking the train to Kalm. There was no way I was going back home now. Not while he was being so demanding.

Cloud and I had gotten into some serious verbal battles over the last two years, usually ending in him walking out and coming back a couple hours later with his most sincerest apologies. Most of the time our arguments were petty squabbles. But no matter what, things were forgiven and quickly forgotten.

Maybe not this time.

"Is this your way of getting back at me?" he asked after a moment of silence.

"What're you talking about?"

"You're still mad because I disappeared for awhile. So now you're doing the same thing."

I sighed. He really had no idea what was going on here. And I decided I wasn't going to enlighten him. I wanted him to worry about where I was.

"I said I was sorry. I'll say it again. I'm sorry, Tifa. I'm sorry for taking off like that." His apology reeked with sarcasm. What was the matter with him?

"I'm not trying to get back at you for leaving."

He sighed. "Tifa, please…just come home."

"I can't."

"Why not?"

"I can't talk about it."

"Is it something I did?" His tone changed again. He was yelling. "What did I do?"

"It's what you didn't do, Cloud." I pulled the phone away from my ear and closed it, cutting off the call. Just for good measure, I turned the ringer volume down before setting the phone down.

Sure enough, my phone vibrated ten seconds later, telling me I had a call. It was Cloud again. I watched my phone traveling across the table from the vibration and I fought back the urge to answer it.

He was clearly upset that I wasn't home and wouldn't tell him where I was.

Being difficult was not something I was used to. That was usually Cloud's forte. Hearing the frustration and anger in his voice gave me the chills. Making him angry didn't make me feel good, but I wasn't about to jump at the snap of his fingers or grovel at his feet because I loved him.

A demonstration of long silent emotions was not going to bring me back so easily. He was going to have to work harder than that.

My cellphone buzzed again and I sighed heavily, barely remembering the last time Cloud had shown this much emotion.

The waitress walked over with my food and set the plate down in front of me. "Let me know if there's anything else you need, hon. Enjoy." She walked away.

I ate my cheeseburger and tried to ignore the two dozen calls made to my phone in the last ten minutes. But the more I ate, the more I felt the food lodging in my throat. Giving up, I pushed the plate away from me and stared at my cellphone after it stopped buzzing.

I waited for it to vibrate again, announcing another call…but it never came. The calls finally stopped. Did Cloud give up? Somehow I doubted it. He was probably thinking of some other way to get a hold of me. Maybe later I'd check to see if he left any messages.

"_Which is it? A memory or us?"_

Cloud never did answer my question from the other night. He merely walked out of the room to pursue the lead Reno and Rude had given him on where Kadaj had taken Marlene and Denzel.

So why didn't he answer? Was he afraid to tell me Aeris would continue to hold his heart forever and that there just wasn't any room for me? How could she have captured his heart in so short a time when I had known him all of my life? Because I was just a tomboy to him. He didn't think of me as a woman anymore. I was just a friend that did every day, menial tasks for him. Maybe he regretted ever being intimate with me and now he didn't know how to tell me it was never going to be like that again.

Well, he wasn't going to have to worry about it anymore. I'd make his life easier and just stay away. Maybe it would be best for both of us.

My cellphone buzzed. It was him again. He hadn't given up afterall.

The bell above the diner door rang as two men walked in.

My eyes widened as I realized I knew both of them. Reno and Rude of the Turks. Of all the people to run into in Junon, it had to be those two jokers.

Rude headed toward the restrooms while Reno snatched a menu from the counter before the waitress could hand him one.

"Don't worry about it, babe, I'll just seat myself," he told her before turning further into the open area of the diner.

I held my hand up over my forehead, hoping to conceal myself enough so that he wouldn't see me. When I peeked between my fingers, I saw Reno sitting three tables away, his feet up on another chair as he checked out the menu. Good, he didn't see me. Unfortunately I lowered my hand too quickly and Rude saw me on his way to sit with Reno.

Reno followed Rude's gaze and immediately got up.

I covered my face again, but I heard footfalls coming in my direction.

"Well, well, well…fancy running into you here. Of all places."

I removed my hand and looked up. "Yeah…what a coincidence."

Reno was smiling that little smile that annoyed the hell out of me. Then he glanced around the place. "Where's Chocobo head?"

"He's not here," I replied a bit too quickly. Maybe it would have been better if he thought Cloud was with me so he'd leave me alone.

His smile widened even further. "Let me guess. Cloud's getting on your last nerve and you needed to get away from the guy."

I didn't respond and sighed heavily as Rude walked up. To make matters worse, Reno slid into the booth right next to me and Rude took the seat on the opposite side.

"Hello, Miss Lockhart," said Rude.

I gave him a half smile. "Hi." I knew Rude had a bit of a crush on me, so at least he wouldn't make a pest of himself. At least I hoped not.

Reno reached over and pulled the plate with my half eaten cheeseburger toward him. He started eating it. "So really, what're you doing here?" he asked with his mouth full.

"Nothing. I'm…I'm thinking of going to Costa Del Sol maybe."

"It's pretty crowded this time of year," Rude offered.

"I'll take that under advisement." I tried to take my cheeseburger back, but Reno wouldn't release my plate. "What're you two doing here?"

"Our boss is taking up temporary residence in the penthouse at the Inn," Reno offered. "He's looking at some commercial property in the area. He can't stay at Healin forever. Especially since he was cured of Geostigma."

"So Rufus Shinra is back on his feet?" It was a rhetorical question. "Am I to assume he's going to continue righting the wrongs he's committed over the years?"

My cellphone buzzed again. I stared at it…the display clearly reading CLOUD. Just as I started to reach for it, Reno snatched it off the table.

To my utter horror, he flipped open my cellphone and answered it. "Hello, Cloud. Guess who?"

I tried to grab the phone out of his hand, but he slid out of the booth and took a couple steps away.

"Hey, take it easy," Reno replied to whatever Cloud had said to him. "Just having something to eat with Lockhart." He pulled the phone away from his ear and cringed. "What the hell crawled up your ass all of a sudden?...No, man, we're in Junon…"

I closed my eyes and shook my head. Great! Now Cloud would know where I was.

Reno pulled the phone away from his ear again and stared down at it. "The little prick hung up on me." He slid back into the booth and placed the cellphone on the table.

I snatched it and threw it into my purse. "Thanks a lot, Reno," I snapped.

"For what?"

"Why'd you tell him where I was?"

"Is there a problem between you and Cloud?" asked Rude.

I sighed and looked down, not really wanting them to know what was going on between us. "Everything's fine," I mumbled.

"Doesn't sound like it to me."

I turned to Reno. "What did he say to you?"

Reno snorted. "For some strange reason, Cloud seems to think we kidnapped you and he said he'd skewer me like a shish-kabob if I touched you." He poked my arm with a finger. "There, I touched you."

So much for keeping my distance from Cloud. I stared out the window and calculated about a half hour had passed since I arrived in Junon. So it was almost 7:00. If Cloud left now, he'd probably drive ridiculously fast to reach Junon in less than four hours. I glanced at Rude. "Tell me about that penthouse at the Inn."

"Nice place," Rude replied. "All the amenities of home."

"How many bedrooms?"

"Three or four, I think."

I pushed Reno roughly out of the booth. "Let's go."

"Where're we going?"

"Just move!"

**

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**

KALM / THE CHOCOBO FARM / THE MYTHRIL MINES – the past

Barret, Aeris, Red XIII and I gathered outside the Inn while Cloud settled the bill at the front desk.

When he came out to join us, Aeris handed him what looked like a cellphone. He looked down at it. "What's this for?"

"So we can stay in constant contact with each other."

He looked up at her. "Why? Are you leaving us?"

"Red said he'd help me find some of the answers I'm looking for. I have to know my purpose, Cloud. But I'll join you again very soon." She leaned over and kissed him on the cheek. Then she walked away with Red at her side.

I watched Cloud's reaction. He seemed alittle upset that Aeris was temporarily leaving. Deep down inside, I was relieved that she wasn't continuing with us for the time being. It was a selfish feeling, but I couldn't help the jealousy that sprouted every time she was near Cloud.

"Where to now?" asked Barret.

Cloud was still looking regretfully in the direction Aeris had gone. Finally he turned and started walking away. "The Mythril Mines…" he mumbled.

I exchanged a glance with Barret before we both moved to catch up with Cloud.

"How you supposin' we get there with that Midgar Zolom lurkin' in the swamps near the entrance to the mines?" asked Barret.

Mountains blocked the upper section of the continent from the rest of it. The only passage was through the Mythril Mines. "We could try crossing over the mountains," I suggested.

"Not an option," said Cloud and he didn't say anything more to elaborate on his plan.

Along the way Cloud led us to a Chocobo Farm where he purchased a Chocobo Lure materia. I wasn't sure what purpose it had and didn't want to ask him because of the foul mood he seemed to be in since we left Kalm.

As we headed for the swamp in front of the Mythril Mines, we ran into some monsters along the way and had to fight. In the process Cloud miraculously caught two Chocobos. That explained the purpose of the Chocobo Lure materia. It rendered a Chocobo helpless. Wild Chocobos were impossible to catch, much less train to be ridden.

Barret mounted one of the Chocobos while Cloud and I mounted the second one. The Chocobos were fast as we started across the swamp.

I glanced back over my shoulder and beneath the murky waters I saw a long dark shadow pursuing us. The Midgar Zolom. "Cloud, it's right behind us!"

But I was concerned for no reason. The Chocobos managed to reach dry land before the Midgar Zolom could catch up to us. Unfortunately, the moment we dismounted the Chocobos, the pair squawked and dashed away.

Barret rushed forward. "Come back here, ya stupid birds!"

"Forget them," said Cloud and he walked inside the entrance to the mines.

Before I could follow, Barret grabbed my arm. "How does he know where we need to go?"

I had asked myself that same question when we left Kalm. What had made Cloud decide that we needed to go this way? How did he know which direction Sephiroth had gone? "I don't know, Barret. Do you know which way we should go?"

He didn't answer.

"Then I guess we need to trust Cloud, don't we?"

We followed Cloud inside and caught up with him just as he went through a passageway. It lead into a large chamber containing two other passageways leading outside. The closest passageway led to a dead end. The other was situated on a higher level, so we began looking for a way up.

"Well, look who found their way out of Midgar."

Cloud, Barret and I froze in our tracks at the voice and looked up to the very passageway we were trying to reach. It was the bald Turk with the dark sunglasses. Two others entered behind him. One was the Turk with the long dark hair and the other was a blonde short-haired woman.

"Stupid Turks," muttered Barret.

"Don't criticize without knowing what we do. But it's difficult to explain what the Turks do…"

"Kidnapping, right?" Cloud offered angrily.

"To put it negatively…you could say that. But, that's not all there is to it, anymore."

The woman stepped up beside him. "It's all right, Rude. I know you don't like speeches, so don't force it."

"Then you explain it Elena."

She looked down in our direction. "I'm Elena, the newest member of the Turks. Thanks to what you did to Reno, we're short on people. Although, because of that, I got promoted to the Turks… In any case, our job is to find out where Sephiroth is headed. And to try and stop you every step of the way. Wait a minute, it's the other way around…You're the ones that are getting in our way."

The dark haired Turk rolled his eyes. "Elena, you talk too much."

"Sorry, Tseng."

"No need to tell them our orders or tell them our names. Just go and don't forget to file your report."

"Oh! Right! Very well, Rude and I will go after Sephiroth and catch him before he reaches the harbor in Junon!

Tseng sighed heavily.

Elena gasped and covered her mouth, obviously realizing she had just given up the location Sephiroth was headed. "Oh! I'm, I'm sorry…"

"Get out of here and don't let Sephiroth get away."

"Before I go," said Rude, "…Reno said he wanted to see you after the injuries you gave him healed. He wants to show his affection for you all…with a new weapon." Then he walked out of the passageway with Elena at his heels.

Tseng turned to us. "Well, then… Where's Aeris? She's not with you?"

"Wouldn't you just love to know?" Cloud said sarcastically

"Alright then, give her my regards." Tseng walked out of the chamber.

We waited a few minutes before we each climbed a stone pillar to reach the higher ledge.

"So we're headed for Junon then?" I asked Cloud.

"I already knew before Elena told us." He walked on.

"He's spooky," said Barret.

On the way to Junon, we hiked through a small forest where we were suddenly attacked by what looked like a young girl. She was pretty good at using materia, but we were able to defeat her nonetheless without actually killing her.

"Man…I can't believe I lost…' she turned her gaze to Cloud. "You spiky-headed jerk! One more time, let's go one more time!"

"Not interested," replied Cloud.

"Thinking of running away? Stay and fight! FIGHT, I said! C'mon…What's the matter? You scared of me, right?"

"Petrified."

"Just as I thought. What do you expect with my superior ninja skills? Next time I won't go so easy on you. Catch ya later!" She started to walk away but slowed her steps and glanced back. "I'm really gonna leave! REALLY!"

I leaned toward Cloud's ear. "Maybe we could use her."

Cloud gave me an incredulous scowl. "She's just a kid, Tifa."

"I know, but…"

Cloud sighed and turned toward the slowly departing ninja girl. "Wait a second!

She gleefully turned and walked back. "I know you want my help because I'm so good! You want me to go with you?"

"That's right."

"Heh heh…thought so. If you want me that bad, I can't refuse… All right! I'll go with you!"

"Great," Cloud turned to walk away. "I'm ecstatic," he added with sarcasm.

Barret and I exchanged a smile and followed behind Cloud.

"Hey… HEY! Wait! I haven't even told you my name…I'm Yuffie! Hey, wait up! Wait for me!"

**

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**

JUNON – the past

I had never been to Junon, but I expected the town to be somewhat like Midgar. What we found was completely different.

Cloud was the first to voice his opinion. "What happened to this town? It's so run-down…"

We chatted a bit with some of the local people and were directed to a Shinra guard standing in front of a metal door attached to a tall pillar. At the top of the pillar was a platform leading to an upper level. But the guard wouldn't allow us through the door.

We began to look for another way. Our search took us to the beach where a large steel-beamed structure rested in the water. At the top was another platform to the upper level. But there was no way to climb it. The beams were too far apart.

At the edge of the water we saw a little girl playing with a dolphin.

"Mr. Dolphin, my name is…Priscilla. Pri…scil…la," she sounded out. "Now you say it."

Our group approached the beach, startling the girl named Priscilla.

"Who are you? Are you members of the Shinra?"

"No!" Barret butted in before anyone else could respond. "You got it all wrong! We're fighting against the Shinra!"

Cloud rolled his eyes. "Here we go again."

"I don't believe you!" yelled Priscilla. "Get out of here!"

Cloud turned to Barret. "Great job scaring the kid, Barret."

From the corner of my eye, I saw something huge rise out of the water. "Whoa, look at that!"

Priscilla suddenly rushed into the water. "It's Bottomswell! Be careful Mr. Dolphin!"

Bottomswell swung one of its flappers, knocking Priscilla unconscious into the water.

Cloud pulled his buster sword from behind his back and ran forward to attack the creature. Barret and I followed close behind.

"Hey, wait for me," said Yuffie.

Defeating Bottomswell had been difficult. The creature kept calling up a tidal wave that pushed us backward. When the dead creature disappeared beneath the water, Cloud carried Priscilla out of the water and carefully laid her down on the sand.

I crouched down beside him and reached to touch my fingertips to the side of Priscilla's neck. "This is bad. Her pulse is pretty faint."

A man rushed down to the beach. "Priscilla!"

We all stepped back as the man shook her in an attempt to revive the little girl.

"She's not breathing…" The man turned to us. "Do something!"

I turned to Cloud. "Cloud, didn't they teach you CPR in SOLDIER?"

He gawked at me like I had lost my mind. "Mouth to mouth!? But, she's just a little girl…"

"Please…" the man pleaded. "You have to help my daughter."

Cloud dropped down beside Priscilla and began performing CPR on her. A few seconds passed before Priscilla coughed and regained consciousness.

Priscilla's father picked the little girl up and carried her way from the beach. We all followed behind him. He carried her into one of the houses, leaving us standing outside.

A woman approached us. "You can all come back to my house for awhile. I have plenty of beds."

We followed the woman to her house. She directed Cloud and Barret into one of the bedrooms, while Yuffie and I took another one.

When I woke up it was daylight outside. I left Yuffie in the room and crossed the hallway to the other bedroom.

Barret was snoring loudly while Cloud was mumbling in his sleep.

I approached the side of the bed where Cloud was lying and leaned closer to see if I could hear what he was saying.

"…I don't know…I can't remember clearly…"

I reached out and shook his shoulder. "Cloud, wake up."

He instantly came awake and sat up. "What's the matter?"

"Nothing. It's morning."

Cloud ran his hand over his face. Before I had a chance to pull away, he grabbed my wrist. "Tifa…"

I turned back to him.

"When Sephiroth and I went to Nibelheim, where were you?"

I frowned. "What do you mean? We saw each other, right? You don't remember?"

He looked puzzled.

"Come on, Cloud. We need to figure out what to do next."

A half hour later we were all gathered near the beach where Priscilla met us.

"Are you all right now?" asked Cloud.

"Umm…thanks for helping…I'm sorry, I mistook you for one of those Shinra people."

"No problem."

She pulled something out of her pocket. "I'll give you something special! It's an amulet."

As Cloud took it from her and looked down at it, I moved closer to see what she had given him. I immediately recognized the red materia. We exchanged a surprised look.

I leaned closer to him. "She obviously doesn't know what to do with a Shiva Summon materia."

Cloud nodded. "Good thing, too." He noticed Yuffie staring at the red orb in his hand and quickly attached it to his wrist guard.

Barret looked up when music suddenly started to play. "What the hell's that?"

"They're rehearsing the reception for the new Shinra president," replied Priscilla. Her smile faded. "Grandpa and grandma told me this beach was beautiful when they were small. But after the Shinra built that city above, the sun stopped shining here, and the water got polluted. I was raised on that story and hate Shinra so much, I could die!"

Barret looked up again. "We gotta get to the town up there…Mebbe we could climb the tower?"

"No! No!" yelled Priscilla. "There's a high voltage current running underneath the tower. Don't wander near it, it's dangerous! But…you might be able to if Mr. Dolphin helps you. Follow me!"

"High voltage tower," I said and turned to Cloud. "Maybe you'll be all right climbing it."

Cloud looked at our expectant faces. "Wait a second. I didn't volunteer for anything."

Priscilla blew a whistle and as we all turned toward the surf, we saw the dolphin jump up into the air.

"I ain't never seen no Dolphin jump like that!" said Barret with his mouth hanging open.

Priscilla ran up to us. "Pretty cool, huh? When I blow this whistle, Mr. Dolphin jumps for me. Here, Cloud."

Cloud took the whistle from her. "What am I supposed to do with this?"

"Just go into the water, blow this whistle and Mr. Dolphin will jump you to the top of the pole!"

"Jump to the top of the pole?"

"See that rod sticking out at the top? If you jump just right, you can land there and then climb up to the town."

Cloud turned to me. "If Rufus is planning to cross to the other continent, we have to get on that boat. I'll try to find out what he's going to do."

I nodded. "The rest of us will see if we can subdue that guard in front of the elevator. We'll meet up soon."

"Okay." Cloud walked to the water's edge and began wading in. He swam toward the steel structure and when he was in position he blew the whistle.

I watched in fascination as the dolphin jumped out of the water, lifting Cloud up into the air with its snout. Cloud grabbed the rod sticking out and hopped up on the nearby beam. He waved down to us before starting the long climb up to the top.

**

* * *

**

SHINRA BOAT – the past

It had been a difficult task, but the rest of us finally made it to the town at the top of the mountain. Barret had knocked out the guard while I hot-wired the elevator controls to gain access inside. We rode the elevator to the top and split up in order to find out as much as we could.

When the ship at the harbor blew its horn, we all met up behind some crates, each of us having found a disguise. Then one by one we came out from behind the crates and boarded the ship without drawing any attention.

The ship soon left the Junon harbor.

A uniformed guard came up to me and I quickly stood at attention and saluted.

The guard raised his visor to reveal his identity. It was Cloud. He grabbed me by the arm and pulled me behind some cargo crates. "Where're the others?"

"They're all in disguises. I'm not sure where they are though. They must be around."

Someone came around the side of the crates. I recognized Yuffie in the sailor outfit. She was holding both of her hands over her mouth and looked extremely green.

"Yuffie, are you all right?" I asked with concern.

She shook her head. "No, I'm seasick." She gagged and ran around to the other side of the crates.

"I was seasick, too," said Cloud. "But I took something and I'm feeling fine."

"Maybe you should give it to Yuffie."

Cloud crowded me against the crate. "Maybe later."

The next thing I knew, Cloud was ravaging the side of my neck. Despite the seriousness of our situation, I didn't attempt to stop him. We messed around for a few minutes before I stepped out from behind the crates first, adjusting my uniform and my sailor hat.

Cloud came out a few seconds later, glancing around and seeing two guards standing on either side of a door. "Good work, sailor!"

I saluted him. "Thank you, sir!" I bit my lower lip to contain my smile as I watched Cloud walk away. He saluted the two nearby guards and headed up the stairs.

Yuffie was making gagging sounds from behind another stack of crates. I went to check on her. She didn't look good at all.

"Yuffie, let's go topside. You look like you could use some air." I helped her up the stairs and to the reiling.

"Emergency alert!" blared a voice over the loud speaker. "Reports of a suspicious character found! Those not on detail, search the ship. Report when found! I repeat. Suspicious character found on board! Those not on detail, search the ship. Report when found!"

Yuffie and I exchanged concerned glances and quickly headed to the middle of the ship where we met up with the others in our group. Aeris and Red XIII had also managed to steal aboard the ship.

"Everyone all right!?" I asked.

"You all right!?" Barret asked at the same time.

"If we're all here," said Aeris, "…then who's the suspicious character?"

Barret turned to Cloud. "You don't think it was…?"

Cloud clenched his fists. "…Sephiroth! Let's find out."

We all headed down to the cargo area. The two guards that had been standing near the engine room door were lying dead on the ground. Cloud rushed forward through the doors and the rest of us quickly followed.

Cloud was shaking another guard. "Hey, you! Talk to me, dammit!"

The guard collapsed at his feet.

Cloud looked up and spun around in place. "He's here. I can feel him."

"After a long sleep…" said an echoing voice. "The time…time has…come…"

Barret pointed. "Look, Cloud!"

We all turned to where Barret was pointing. Sephiroth had literally risen right through the floor like a ghost.

Cloud took a step forward. "Sephiroth! You're alive!"

Sephiroth slowly turned to face Cloud. "Who are you?"

"You don't remember me!? I'm Cloud!"

"Cloud…"

"Sephiroth! What the hell do you think you're doing!?"

"The time…is now…" Sephiroth vanished just as quickly and mysteriously as he appeared. But in his wake he left a hideously disfigured creature.

It took the strength of all of us to defeat it.

When the battle was over, Cloud was shaking his head. "The time…is now? What could he have meant by that?"

Barret shook his gunarm. "I don't know what the hell's goin' on, Cloud! We gotta do somethin' 'bout that guy!"

A voice came over the loud speaker again. "We will be arriving in Costa Del Sol in five minutes. Prepare for docking."

I grabbed Cloud's arm and tugged at it. "Come on, Cloud. We have to hide."

"Sephiroth…is alive…" he mumbled. "The Promised Land…Does it really exist?"

_

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_

Please leave me some feedback. Thanks a bunch!


	10. Chapter 10

_Author's Note – Thanks for all the wonderful reviews. Have no fear, all will be revealed soon enough as to why Cloud is behaving the way he is in the present time. Just a quick note though about the past (the game story), I mentioned previously that the game is extremely long. I've added some additional dialogue or changed some of it. But not every chapter will have elaborated scenes, otherwise this story would be five hundred pages by the time I finished. I have a short attention span and I'd never be able to remain interested in a story that would take me a year to finish. So there will be times that the past may seem rushed, especially now that things are starting to happen on the quest. I picked and chose the right Cloud and Tifa moments to elaborate that I felt needed something extra. _

_So anyway, on with the story… _

**

* * *

**

Chapter 10

**JUNON – the present**

The Junon Inn penthouse had a breathtaking view of the bay. This wasn't my first visit to Junon. We had been here plenty of times while chasing after Sephiroth a couple years ago. But this was the first time I had the chance to really enjoy the sights.

I moved closer to the large panoramic window and glanced to the right. The huge cannon was still there. It had been damaged by one of the Weapons summoned by the planet's own defenses. Remembering our AVALANCHE days only made me think of Cloud.

I reached into my purse for my cellphone. It hadn't rung again since Reno had answered it in the diner. I accessed my voicemail.

"You have four messages," said the electronic voice.

I hit the button to listen to them.

"Playing message one."

"Tifa…" It was Cloud, of course. "Listen, I'm sorry for whatever it is I did or…didn't do. Can you please answer your phone?" Click.

He really sounded desperate in the message. But I wasn't quite convinced he was being sincere.

"Playing message two."

"Tifa…will you answer your fucking phone?" Click.

There was the irrational Cloud, the one that drove me to do things beyond my control. In fact, I once poured a pitcher of cold water over his head when he argued that it was beneath him to tend the bar every once in awhile.

"Playing message three."

"Okay, I know I haven't been easy to get along with lately. I've been selfish and self-absorbed and…maybe a little bit unapproachable. I get that. I'm sorry. I promise I'll stop being a dick." There was a brief silence before he continued. "Please…please, just call me back." Click.

I wasn't sure I liked hearing him plead. It was an oddity, mainly because he never had to beg for anything before. He always got whatever he wanted. But it was nearly enough to convince me to call him back. And I almost did until I heard the last message.

"Why're you doing this to me, Tifa? I don't need this shit. Denzel's asking me a million questions about where you are and Marlene's crying her eyes out because she thinks I did something to make you leave. If you're ticked off at me, then fine, I can deal with that, but will you at least come back home for them?" Click.

I felt like throwing my phone across the room. And I almost did…until it buzzed in my hand.

I looked at the display. It was Yuffie.

"Hello?"

"Tifa, what's going on? Marlene called me in tears. She said you ran away from home."

I plopped myself down on a nearby sofa and was momentarily distracted by its incredible plushiness. "Yuffie, you were right. He's taking advantage of me. I don't know why I didn't see it before."

"Okay, but the plan was to kick _his_ ass out, not for _you_ to leave."

"I can't kick him out. It's just as much his place as it is mine."

"So what now? Who's going to take care of Marlene and Denzel?"

"He's going to have to do it for awhile."

"He can't even take care of himself, much less two kids."

"Yes, especially since he's probably on his way here to Junon as we speak."

"You're in Junon?"

I sighed. "Can you do me a big favor? Call Barret and tell him I need him to stay at the bar for a few days so the kids have someone there to take care of them."

"What're you going to do when Cloud comes looking for you?"

"He's not going to find me."

"You know how persistent he can be. You can't hide out forever."

"I know. I just want to rattle him up a bit."

"And make him realize how much he takes you for granted."

"Exactly."

"Okay. It sounds like you've got things well under control."

I wasn't as confident in myself as Yuffie was in me. "I hope so."

"Make that bird-brained Chocobo head suffer."

I frowned at Yuffie's statement.

Did I really want Cloud to suffer? Hadn't he suffered enough in his life? Instead of helping him mentally mend, I was probably adding salt to his wounds…I knew Cloud lacked self-confidence in a lot of things, but he always made it seem like he was so sure of himself. Maybe he needed this wake-up call to get him back on a reality check.

"I'll talk to you later, Yuffie. Don't forget to call Barret."

"I won't. Bye."

"Bye." I ended the call and scrolled down my contact list until Cloud's name was highlighted. I pressed the Talk button and put the phone to my ear.

It rang…

…and rang

…and rang

Finally his voicemail came on. "Leave a message," his voice requested.

I hung up without leaving a message because I didn't know yet what I wanted to say to him.

Either he couldn't hear his cellphone ringing while riding that monstrosity of a motorcycle of his, or he chose to ignore it so he wouldn't have to stop.

I tossed my phone aside and leaned by head back to rest on the soft sofa. Something was nagging at the back of my mind. He seemed to be over-reacting to all of this. Was he really that lost at home without me? Even for one day? He was fine when he was by himself on the road, gone for days at a time…What was it about home that made him panic when I wasn't there?

**

* * *

**

COSTA DEL SOL – the past

When we docked at Costa Del Sol, we all waited until the coast was clear before disembarking the ship.

Barret was the first to speak as we glanced around. "Damn! Sure is hot here. But I'll sure feel better once I can say good-bye to this stupid sailor suit."

"Oh, too bad," Aeris said cheerfully. "I liked you in a sailor suit. You looked so cute."

"Whatcha mean 'cute'?"

I tried to contain my laugh. "Right…well, uh…Barret, why don't you use that sailor suit for pajamas? Right, Cloud?"

Cloud rolled his eyes. "Can we keep our minds focused on Sephiroth. This isn't a vacation."

"You're the one who's always hangin' around wastin' time," Barret retorted.

Red XIII was puffing laboriously. "This heat is drying my nose."

Yuffie nodded. "Yeah, mine, too!"

Cloud seemed impatient as he sighed. "Fine, let's just take a short break and then we're outta here. So don't wander too far."

Aeris glanced at her arms. "Maybe I should get a tan for a change. What do you think, Cloud?"

He had a blank look on his face as he stared at Aeris. Then his eyes briefly darted in my direction. "Uh…I guess."

She winked at him. "I'll remember that."

After Aeris walked away, Cloud found me still watching him. "What?"

Was he so clueless that he couldn't see she was flirting with him? Or maybe he knew and was making me think he didn't have a clue. I shook my head. "Nothing."

The sound of approaching voices made us quickly take cover behind a stone wall. We peeked around the side to catch a glimpse of Rufus and Heidegger getting off the ship.

"I heard Sephiroth was on board," Rufus said casually.

Heidegger hung his head down. "Yes."

"And it seems Cloud and the other AVALANCHE members were on board, too."

"Yes."

Rufus shook his head in disgust. "They all slipped through. You messed up big this time, Heidegger."

"I'm ashamed of myself."

"Is that all you can do? Give one word answers and apologize for everything?"

A Shinra guard approached. "The helicopter is ready for departure, sir!"

Rufus nodded and glanced one last time at Heidegger. "Do something. I'll be expecting results." He walked toward a platform where a helicopter rested.

Heidegger became angry and attacked threw sailors, pushing them off the dock. He started toward the platform, but the helicopter left without him.

Cloud grabbed my arm. "Come on, let's go before he sees us."

After purchasing some items from a local vendor, Cloud and I met up with Aeris on the beach, where she had been picking seashells.

"Look there," she said with a nod of her head further down the beach.

Cloud's eyes widened. "Hojo! What the hell's he doing here?"

"Should we go over and talk to him?" I asked, but Cloud had already started in Hojo's direction.

A woman in a bikini stood in our way. "What do you want?"

Cloud looked passed her. "I want to talk to that man."

The woman frowned when Cloud tried to get passed her. "Hey, who do you think you are?" She went back and leaned toward Hojo. "Professor, that scary man says he wants to talk to you."

"I'm busy right now."

The woman returned. "Too bad."

Cloud wasn't put off. He moved forward, forcing the woman to stumble backward.

Hojo sat up in the lounge chair he had been laying on. "I remember you now. All of you. Yes, yes. It's been a long time, Cloud."

"What're you doing here?" Cloud asked.

"Isn't it obvious? I'm getting a tan."

"That's not the answer I'm looking for!"

Hojo smiled at Cloud's frustrated look. "I believe we're both after the same goal."

"You mean Sephiroth?"

"So you saw him, did you? I see…Ha! Ha!"

"You see what?"

"I just remembered a certain hypothesis…Haven't you ever had the feeling something is calling you? Or that you had to visit some place?"

Cloud frowned for a moment as if he was thinking about something. Then he turned back to Hojo. "I'm going wherever Sephiroth is going so I can beat him and put an end to all this!"

"Hmm. This could be interesting. Yes, I remember. You were in SOLDIER. Heh heh heh! Would you like to be my guinea pig once again?"

Cloud angrily drew his buster sword.

"Oh, now what? Are you going to kill me?"

I jumped in front of Cloud, which was a very foolish thing to do when he had his buster sword held ready to strike. "Stop, Cloud! I know how you feel, but you can't. Not right now. We need answers."

Cloud reluctantly lowered his sword.

Hojo looked passed us. "Hey, you're the Ancient."

"I have a name," replied Aeris. "The least you can do is call me by it. And I know I'm an Ancient. My mother told me."

"Your mother? Oh, you mean Infalna. How is she?"

"She died. Don't tell me you didn't know that."

Hojo shrugged.

Aeris stepped forward, the anger on her face quickly vanishing. "Professor Hojo, is Jenova an Ancient? Is Sephiroth an Ancient? Do we all have the same blood?"

Hojo tilted his head down and started mumbling.

Aeris turned to Cloud and I. "He's hiding something!"

I kicked the lounge chair. "Hey! Answer us!!"

Hojo leaned back and closed his eyes. He wasn't going to talk to us any longer.

Cloud shook his head and walked away. "Let's find the others and get the hell out of here."

Aeris and I exchanged glances before we quickly followed him.

**

* * *

**

MT COREL / NORTH COREL – the past

Our next destination was North Corel. When we reached the outskirts of some mountains, Cloud and I ran into a man while the others were trying to catch up to us.

"Hey, is this the way to North Corel?" Cloud asked him.

"Whew! You're actually talking to me," the man replied.

"What's the problem?"

"I passed a guy in a black cloak not too long ago back there. I tried to tell him that it's dangerous up ahead and he ignored me!"

Cloud turned to me. "Sephiroth…"

I glanced over my shoulder and waved to the others. "Come on! We have to hurry!"

The six of us walked into the town together.

I glanced around. Everything was in ruins and people were living in tents. It reminded me of Nibelheim, after all the fires were out.

Someone pointed at us…or rather at Barret. "You!" He stuck his head into a tent. "He's back!"

Barret stepped forward. "You all wait here."

The rest of us watched Barret approach the first man who was soon joined by a second.

"Well, looky here!" said the first man. "Never thought I'd ever see your face again. Those people over there, they with you? Well, I feel sorry for 'em! Hangin' around a walkin' death sentence like you, Barret."

"You got a lot of balls comin' back here!" yelled the second man. "Look at this place! It's all your fault North Corel turned into a garbage heap!"

"Why doncha say something!? Or did ya forget what you done here already?"

Barret hung his head. "I'm sorry…"

"Shit! You ain't even worth the effort. Just leave."

Barret left the men and returned to our group. "You heard 'em. It's my fault this town was destroyed." He walked away.

The rest of us followed him through the demolished town to the Ropeway Station that led to the Gold Saucer.

Aeris approached Barret while Cloud purchased tickets from the ticket booth. "Barret, what happened?"

Barret shook his head. "Sorry. My hometown used to be around here."

"What do you mean 'used to'?" asked Red.

"It ain't here no more. Heard it got buried…in just 4 years."

Aeris pressed on. "But how could those people say those terrible things?"

"It's my fault. ALL my fault."

After Cloud returned with the tickets, we all boarded the Ropeway car. It left the station a few minutes later.

Barret was holding his head in his hands while Aeris sat beside him, rubbing his back. "The only one against it was Dyne," he started to say. "He didn't want us to throw away our coal, protected for generations, our ancestors risked their lives for it. Simply to be replaced by Mako energy." He raised his head and clenched his teeth. "That crazy woman, Scarlet. She said Shinra, Inc would guarantee our livelihood once the Mako reactor was built. It was the Shinra troops that burned the town and lots of people died."

"Shinra troops?" asked Cloud. "What for?"

"There was an explosion at the reactor. Shinra blamed the accident on the people. Said it was done by a rebel faction."

"That's so terrible!" I said. Barret never spoke about his past. I never knew what had happened to him to make him so bitter or how he had lost his arm.

"I couldn't forgive myself. Never should've gone along with the building of the reactor."

I felt bad for him. "Don't blame yourself. We were all fooled by the promises Shinra made back then."

"That's why…that's why I get so pissed off! Not only did they take advantage of me…But I lost my wife, Myrna, too…Dyne was my best friend. We was close ever since we was kids."

Yuffie shrugged. "I'm not sympathizing with you or anything, Barret, but none of you should have trusted Shinra, Inc."

After that no one spoke for the rest of the ride to the Gold Saucer.

**

* * *

**

GOLD SAUCER – the past

As the tram approached the Gold Saucer, I stared at the structure in awe. There were blinding lights everywhere. There was so much to see, I couldn't see any of it before the tram entered the station.

We got off the tram and Cloud handed each of us our tickets.

"Don't lose them cuz they're lifetime tickets and I'm not paying for any more."

We passed through the archway entrance and came to a room with seven round openings. According to the woman who had stamped our tickets, every place at the Gold Saucer was accessed by these chutes.

Aeris clapped her hands. "Let's have fun! Come on, Barret, cheer up!"

"I ain't in no cheery mood. So jes' leave me alone."

"Oh, that's too bad." Aeris walked over to Cloud. "Let's go!"

I walked up to them. "Aeris," I whispered. "Don't you think that was a little harsh?"

"Just act normal when this happens."

I frowned. She acted as if she knew Barret and she didn't. "I don't think so…"

She ignored me and walked back to Barret. "We're gonna play…"

Barret threw his arms in the air. "So PLAY! …messin' round! Shit! Don't forget we're after Sephiroth!" He stormed away and jumped into the chute labeled 'Wonder Square'.

Aeris shrugged. "Oops. I think he's mad."

I sighed. "He'll be fine."

"Come on, let's go!" Aeris jumped into the chute labeled 'Event Square'.

Yuffie and Red jumped in after her.

I turned to Cloud. "We'd better be careful, Sephiroth might be around." I started to walk toward the Event Square chute, but Cloud grabbed my arm.

"Let's stick together then." He led me toward the Speed Square chute instead and we both jumped in.

Upon landing on the other side, I noticed the entrance to a rollercoaster ride. There was a short line at the ticket window.

"Are we going on the ride?" I asked Cloud.

Cloud glanced around. "I dunno if I can. I might get motion sick."

"Do you have any more of those pills?"

Before Cloud could answer, a muscular man with a dark tan walked up to us. My eyes involuntarily looked him over. He wore nothing but red bikini briefs. I checked my gag reflex to make sure it was functioning because this man really made me want to vomit. Who in the world walked around an amusement park in just their briefs?

"Hey, boy," he said, ignoring me completely.

Cloud frowned in annoyance. "Boy?"

"You having fun? Good, good for you boy."

"The name's Cloud. Stop calling me boy."

"I'm the owner of the Gold Saucer. My name is Dio. But you can call me…Dio."

Cloud looked like he had stopped listening to him as he continued to glance around. He had a tendency to do that if he was bored with someone.

"By the way, boy," Dio went on. "Do you know what Black Materia is?"

"What is it?"

"Ha ha…that, I say, that's a good one, boy! But it's not good to lie. You can't fool me."

"Then why'd you ask me?"

"Well, someone recently asked me if I had any Black Materia. I thought you might know him, seein' as you both have that Mako look in your eyes."

Cloud suddenly gave Dio his full attention. "Did he happen to have…a black cape…?"

"Why yes, yes indeed. And a tattoo on his hand of the number one."

"Where did he go?"

"I have no idea. Well then, I have to move on. Stop by the Battle Arena, boy. You'll probably like it. Many of my collections are on display there."

Cloud waited until Dio was gone before he grabbed me by the arm again and led me back to the chutes. "Maybe we should look for Sephiroth instead. Let's go find Barret." We jumped into the Wonder Square chute.

On the other side was the entrance to a building. Before we could head there, a cat on a white moogle hopped in our direction.

"Hey you!! What're you lookin' so down for!? How 'bout it? Want me to read your fortune!? A bright future! A happy future! Oh, but don't hold it against me if it's not a great prediction! Oh, so sorry, maybe I should introduce myself! I'm a fortune telling machine. The name's…Cait Sith."

Cloud folded his arms. "You can only tell us about our fortune?"

"You kidding!? I can do more than that. I find missing things, missing people, anything!"

"Then tell me where I can find a man named Sephiroth."

"Sephiroth, right!? Okay, here goes!!"

The moogle beneath Cait Sith performed an interesting foot shuffle, making me laugh. At the end, the moogle spit out a card and handed it to Cloud.

Cloud looked down at the card and read it outloud. "Ordinary luck. It will be an active fortune. Give into the good will of others, and something big will happen after summer." He looked up at Cait Sith. "What the hell's this? I thought you said you can find missing people."

"Let me try again."

The moogle performed his shuffle again and again handed a card to Cloud at the end.

"Be careful of forgetfulness. Your lucky color is…blue?" Cloud tossed the card away. "Just forget it."

"Wait, wait…give me another chance!" cried Cait Sith. "Just one more try!"

Cloud was quickly losing his patience.

Cait Sith's moogle shuffled a third time and again gave Cloud a card.

Cloud read it to himself this time and looked up with a startled expression. "What the…!?

I tried to catch a glimpse of the card. "What does it say?"

"It says, what you pursue will be yours, but you will lose something dear."

Cait Sith shrugged. "I don't know if it's good or bad. This is the first time I ever got such an odd fortune. Shall we go then?"

"Excuse me? Go where?" I asked.

"As a fortune teller, I can't help but wonder about this. If I don't see what it leads to, I won't be able to sleep. That's why I must go with you on your travels."

I looked at Cloud.

He was shaking his head. "No. No way."

"I'm coming with you no matter what you say!"

"How about it, Cloud," I said. "The moogle looks fairly strong. We could use him when we cross paths with any monsters."

"I guess I don't have a say in the matter." He gave in and turned to Cait Sith. "Fine. You can go. So did you happen to see a big guy with a gun on his arm?"

"He was here a few minutes ago. But he went to the Battle Square."

The three of us jumped into the Battle Square chute.

On the other side we walked to the entrance where a Shinra guard stood. Suddenly the guard startled us by dropped to the floor.

Cloud crouched down to check him. "Dead…" Then he stood back up and rushed through the entrance.

The next room was full of corpses.

I stared in shock. "Did Sephiroth do this?"

Cloud shook his head. "No, it's not him. These people were all shot. Sephiroth would never use a gun."

We heard someone moaning behind the ticket counter. It was a young woman. She was still alive. I helped her up on her feet.

"What happened?" Cloud asked her.

"A…a man with a gun…on his arm…"

I gasped. "Barret? No, it can't be."

"Hold it right there!"

Dio and several men appeared. "Grab them before they escape!"

As the men grabbed us, Cloud turned to Dio. "We didn't do this!"

Dio wouldn't listen. He motioned to his men. They dragged us to the center of the arena and surrounded us with their weapons raised.

"Listen to me!" yelled Cloud.

"There's no need to listen," Dio said calmly. "Pay for your crime below."

The floor suddenly opened up beneath us and the three of us fell into a dark abyss.

_

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Please leave a review before you go. Thanks.


	11. Chapter 11

_Author's Note – Not much to say, other than thank you so, so, so, so much for all the reviews. I truly appreciate the feedback and knowing that people are enjoying the story, past and present._

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Chapter 11

**JUNON – the present**

A knock on the door woke me.

Funny how I didn't even realize I had fallen asleep on that comfortable couch.

I got up and walked to the door. As I swung it open, I found Rufus Shinra standing just outside, his hand raised and ready to knock again. "President Shinra…"

"Miss Lockhart," he acknowledged with a slight bow. "My associates informed me of your request to use one of the rooms here in the penthouse."

I felt a slight blush on my cheeks. "Uh…I…I could get my own room, if you prefer."

"No. You're welcome to stay." He strolled inside without invitation.

I couldn't be rude and kick him out, especially not after he said I could stay. I closed the door and watched him walk around.

"Reno told me Cloud believes you were kidnapped by the Turks."

"I tried calling him, but he's not answering his phone."

Rufus walked to the window and glanced over his shoulder at me. "He's on his way here?"

"I…I'm pretty sure he is."

He turned around and leaned on the window ledge as he folded his arms. "I get the impression you're running away from something…or someone."

I shifted from one foot to another, not willing to supply him with any information. "Why is everyone suddenly so interested in what's going on in my life?"

Rufus smiled. "Humor me, Miss Lockhart. You could have gotten a room at this Inn, yet you choose to stay in my penthouse. My guess is you don't want your name to appear on the registration log."

I raised my eyebrows. It hadn't even occurred to me, but now that he mentioned it, I was sort of glad I hadn't booked my own room.

"And the only reason I surmise you wouldn't want your name to appear on the registration log is so Cloud can't find you."

"I just want to see how the rich live." I glanced away from him because I was afraid he'd know I was lying. "This is a pretty fancy place."

"Something happened between you two."

I folded my arms across my chest and looked him in the eye. "No offense, Mr President, but it's none of your damned business."

He smiled again. "You're right. It's not my business to pry into your personal affairs."

"It's not an affair, it's…" I stopped myself before I said anything more.

"You do realize that when Cloud arrives in Junon, the first place he'll come looking for you is here."

Shinra was right. Since Cloud thought Reno kidnapped me, then he'd immediately ask around for the whereabouts of the Turks. Everyone in Junon obviously knew President Shinra was in town. They'd tell Cloud that Shinra and his crew were staying at the Junon Inn.

"He'll more than likely cause trouble for me," Shinra added.

"Maybe I should leave."

He continued his stroll around the room as if this was the first time he had ever stepped foot in it. "Were you aware that I was afflicted with Geostigma?"

I raised my eyebrows at this bit of news. "No, I didn't know that."

He turned around to face me. "Cloud didn't tell you?"

"Um…to be honest with you, Cloud and I haven't had a chance to talk about anything for awhile."

"He handled the Kadaj incident fairly well."

I frowned at him and folded my arms. "Fairly well? He nearly died."

Rufus nodded, as if understanding. "Tell me about the healing rain, Miss Lockhart."

I unfolded my arms and looked at him suspiciously. "I don't know anything about that."

"Is the Cetra still alive?"

His question surprised me. "No. Sephiroth killed Aeris two years ago. I was there. I saw it happen."

"Then where do you suppose the healing rain came from?"

"Why're you asking me? You should ask Cloud."

He smiled and walked toward the door. "Oh, believe me, I plan to." He opened the door and walked out, closing the door quietly behind him.

A cold chill shot up my spine. What was Rufus Shinra up to now?

Maybe staying here wasn't such a good idea. But if I left now, then I'd lose my chance to find out if Shinra had anything up his sleeves.

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COREL PRISON – the past

We landed hard on the sand-covered ground.

Cloud immediately came to my side. "Tifa, are you okay?" He helped me up on my feet.

"I think so." I looked around and everywhere I looked, all I saw was sand.

"Where are we?" asked Cloud.

Cait Sith was back up on his moogle's shoulders. "A desert prison. The Corel Prison."

"A desert prison?"

"Yup, a natural prison in the middle of the desert, surrounded entirely by quicksand. I heard that once you get in, you never get out. But, there was one special exception…"

We started to walk toward what looked like a heap of garbage. Further along the path there was a building made of rusted metal. We found Barret standing near it.

I rushed over to him. "Barret!"

Cloud came up beside me. "Barret, did you really…"

Barret moved away. "Stay back! This is something I gotta deal with. Jes' leave me alone!" He moved around to the other side of the building.

"That's one of your friends?" asked Cait Sith. "He sure looks dangerous."

We followed him into a dilapidated house.

"Didn't I tell you to leave me alone!?"

"Barret, we just want to talk to you," I pleaded.

My eyes widened when he spun his gun arm on us and fired. But the shots didn't touch any of us. The sound of a yelp came from behind us. A man laid dead on the broken sofa.

"Didn't want none of ya to get involved…" said Barret as he lowered his gunarm.

Just then Aeris, Yuffie and Red XIII walked into the house.

Aeris shook her head with her hands on her hips. "Isn't that Cloud's line? 'It's too dangerous, I can't let you get involved…'blah, blah, blah…"

"We're already involved in this," I added. "Just tell us what's going on."

"I heard the murders at the Battle Arena were done by a man with a gun-arm. Was that your doing?" questioned Red.

Barret shook his head sadly. "There's another…another man that got a gun grafted inta one of his arms. It was four years ago…Dyne and I came back from a trip. The town was being attacked by Shinra guards. Then they started shooting at us, too. We tried to escape. Dyne fell and I grabbed him by the arm before he went down in the canyon. They kept shooting…the bullets hit both of our arms, where we were joined. Dyne fell."

We all stood quietly as Barret told his story.

"From then on, I couldn't use my right arm no more. I was depressed for a while. But then I threw away my artificial arm and got this gun grafted in. Got a new right arm to get revenge on the Shinra, who took everything away from me. Back then, I heard the doc say there was another man who got the same operation as me. But his was the left arm."

"Dyne's injury was the same as yours then?" I asked even though I already knew the answer. "He was deceived by the Shinra, just like the rest of us. He'll probably join us to fight against them."

"I wouldn't bet on it. I gotta 'pologize to Dyne before I can rest in peace. An' that's why, I gotta go alone."

"I can't let you do it, Barret," said Cloud. "Because, if you die on me, I'm gonna have nightmares."

I gave Cloud a look, telling him now wasn't the time for jokes.

Barret walked out of the house.

Cloud pointed to me. "The rest of you stay here."

We remained several paces behind Barret as we followed him. After nearly a half hour of walking, we entered a ravine and found a man with a gun on his left arm. It had to be Barret's friend, Dyne.

"Dyne…Is that you?" asked Barret.

"Now there's a voice I haven't heard in years…A voice I'll never forget."

"I always hoped I'd be able to see you again someday. I knew you were alive somewhere. We had the same operation."

Dyne suddenly fired at Barret.

Barret ducked behind a pile of garbage.

"What's that?" Dyne asked. "I hear her voice."

Barret realized Cloud and I were right beside him and he scowled angrily.

"I hear her voice," Dyne went on. "Eleanor's voice, begging me not to hate your rotten guts. That's why I didn't hunt you down."

Barret yelled out. "I know I was stupid. I'm not asking you to forgive me. But…what're you doin' in a place like this? Why ya wanna kill those that ain't even involved? Why?"

"Why!? The hell do you care for!? Are the people killed going to understand 'why'? Are the people of Corel going to understand just hearing Shinra's excuses? I don't care what the reason is! All they give us are stupid excuses and death. What's left is a world of despair and emptiness?"

Barret looked confused by what Dyne was saying.

"You wanna know why? All right, I'll tell you. 'Cause I want to destroy everything. The people of this city. This city itself. The whole world! I got nothing left in this world. Corel, Eleanor… Marlene…"

Finally something caught his attention. "Marlene…She's still alive!" Barret slowly stepped out from behind the debris. "Dyne, I went back into town. I thought she was gone for sure. But I found her. I found Marlene."

Cloud and I both peeked around the debris to see what was happening. Barret was trying to move closer to Dyne.

"She's in Midgar. Let's go see her together, all right?"

"So…she's still alive. All right, Barret. I guess that means you and I gotta fight."

"Whatcha talkin' 'bout?"

"Eleanor's alone all by herself. I've gotta take Marlene to her."

"Are you insane!?"

"Marlene wants to see her mom, don't she?" Dyne started shooting toward Barret again. "My life's been over for some time now!"

Barret avoided the shots. "Stop! I don't wanna fight you!"

"Barret!" Cloud yelled out.

"Stay the hell out of it, Cloud! This is my problem!"

I watched in horror as Barret started shooting back, occasionally ducking behind various debris around the area. My mind was in a whirl. Dyne was Marlene's real father. So this is what happened to him.

The fight didn't last long. Dyne was hit several times and collapsed on the ground.

When Barret tried to approach him, Dyne stood up and aimed his gunarm again. "Stay back!"

Barret froze in his tracks. "Let me help you, Dyne."

Dyne shook his head. "It wasn't just my arm back then. I lost something irreplaceable. I don't know where I went wrong."

"I don't know either, man. We can resolve this."

"I told you. I want to destroy everything…Everything. This crazy world…Even me…"

"An' what 'bout Marlene? What's gonna happen to her!?"

"Think about it, Barret. How old was Marlene back then…? Two? Even if I did go to her now, she wouldn't even know me. And what's more, Barret, these hands are too stained to carry her anymore." He went into his pocket and pulled something out. "Give this to her. It was… Eleanor's…my wife's memento…"

Barret caught the item tossed to him. "All right."

"Wow. Marlene's gotta be what…seven by now?"

"That's right."

"Barret, don't ever make Marlene…cry…"

I gasped when Dyne suddenly flung himself over the side of the cliff.

Barret rushed forward. "Dyne!" But it was too late. "Me an' you were the same," he yelled down into the chasm. "My hands ain't any cleaner. I shouldn't be able to carry Marlene either."

Cloud and I came out from behind the debris and moved toward Barret.

I touched his arm. "I'm sorry, Barret."

"Let's get outta here," he mumbled.

We went back to where most of the other prisoners were. One particular man caught Barret's attention and we walked up to him.

"You want somethin'?" asked the man.

"I wanna go back up," replied Barret.

"Like I told you before, you gotta get permission from the boss and then win the Chocobo…"

"The boss is dead." Barret held up the pendant Dyne had given him.

"So you killed him? You must've or you'd never be holding that thing. Good. Maybe now the place will calm down a little. Dyne didn't care who anyone was…around here…"

Barret grabbed the man by the front of his shirt and lifted him off the ground. "The hell do you know!"

"I…I don't know anything. Sor…sorry."

Cloud stepped up as Barret pushed the man away. "Get us outta here."

"I already told him, there's only one way to get outta here. That's to win the Chocobo race and that's held up there, in the Gold Saucer. And, only one racer can go up at a time."

Barret grabbed the man again. "Say what!?"

"Noooo! Really, even if you threaten me! A rule is a rule. I can't change it. If I do, the whole system down here'll get messed up! An' I can't do that! I'll let one go up there. After that, he's gotta deal with Dio."

"Awright then." He released the man. "You go, Cloud. We'll wait down here. Hurry up an' win that Chocobo race, an' get us outta here!"

Cloud turned toward the elevator the man pointed to. "Why do I always get stuck doing everything?" he mumbled to himself along the way.

**

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GOLD SAUCER – the past

Cloud eventually won the Chocobo race and we were all released.

On our way to the Ropeway station, someone delivered a letter and handed it to Cloud.

Cloud read it outloud. "Boy, if you're reading this letter, then you must've won. And won a victory that I'm sure you earned. I heard about Dyne from some of my staff. Now that you're victorious, I promise that you and all your friends will get a full pardon and you all will be set free. And also, by way of apology, I prepared a little gift for you to use on your journey. Sorry I couldn't be there to tell you this in person, but I'm a very busy man. Sincerely, Dio." Cloud looked up. "A gift?" He continued reading. "P.S. When I met Sephiroth, I thought he must have a lot of fans that are boys your age. Why don't you get his autograph? It seems he's headed south of the river, towards Gongaga."

The messenger motioned for us to follow him and we entered an elevator that took us down to the ground level. Waiting for us there was what the messenger referred to as a 'Buggy'. It was big enough to fit all of us, including Cait Sith and his moogle.

At least now we wouldn't have to walk any longer.

**GONGAGA – the past**

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We approached Gongaga in the Buggy and realized we'd have to abandon it outside the small town. The path ahead was a maze of fallen trees and large boulders. So we were back to walking for a little while.

Since we started our quest, our team had now grown to seven with the addition of Cait Sith. At first I was resentful of the added company, but after fighting the growing number of monsters, I was thankful for the extra power the rest of the team provided.

As we walked along the path, weaving through the tree and rock obstacles, voices drifted from up ahead. We all stopped behind a boulder to listen. I recognized the voices belonging to the Turks, Reno and Rude.

"Hey, Rude. Who do you like?"

No reply.

"What're you getting so embarrassed about? Come on, who do you like?"

"…Tifa."

At the sound of my name, I tried to peer around the boulder, but Cloud kept pushing me back.

"She's a tough one. But, poor Elena. Weren't you and her…?"

"No, she likes Tseng."

"Tseng? Really?! I thought Tseng liked that Ancient…"

Just then we realized someone else had joined us behind the boulder. Another Turk. It was Elena.

Her arms were folded across her chest and she had a smirk on her face, like she had caught us all by herself.

Cloud motioned with his head toward Reno and Rude. "What are they talking about?"

Elena shrugged. "It's so stupid. They're always talking about who they like or don't like." She took a few steps away from the boulder so Reno and Rude would see her. "Hey! They're over here!"

We all stepped out from behind the boulder. Reno and Rude seemed a little surprised. Maybe they hadn't realized our group had grown either.

"Don't go easy on them even though they're girls in the group," said Reno.

"I'll report to Tseng!" Elena ran off in another direction.

Reno grinned. "It's payback time for what you did in Sector 7."

Cloud unsheathed his buster sword. "Out of our way."

"I don't like being taken for a fool."

The battle began.

Reno and Rude had shields that blocked any lethal materia, but Cloud pressed them back with the blows he delivered with his sword. It didn't last long.

"We're still victorious," Reno yelled as he retreated with Rude.

Barret started to pursue.

"Let them go! We have to move on," said Cloud.

We proceeded forward until we came across a demolished reactor. After searching around the outside and interior of the reactor, we didn't find anything but an angry monster that needed to be terminated.

Just as we were about to leave the reactor, the sound of a helicopter forced us to scatter for places to hide.

Cloud and I peeked out from our hiding place and watched the helicopter land. We recognized the two people that got off. Scarlet, who was the head of Shinra Weapon Development and Tseng, the man in charge of the Turks.

Scarlet glanced at the wrecked reactor. "This one isn't any good either. You can't get good materia out of a junky reactor. Besides, what I'm looking for is big, large, huge materia. You haven't seen any by chance, have you?"

"No, I haven't seen any," Tseng replied. "I'll get on it right away."

"With Hojo gone, I've got a bigger budget. But even if we make the perfect weapon, could that stupid Heidegger even use it? Oh, listen to me. Sorry…I forgot Heidegger was your boss! Ha, ha, ha!"

Tseng didn't say anything.

The two of them boarded the helicopter and it was soon airborne.

All of us came out of our hiding places.

"Did you hear that?" asked Cloud as we watched the helicopter disappear. "Big materia? The perfect weapon? Wonder what Shinra's up to?"

We proceeded to the town west of the reactor. The buildings were mainly made up of domed huts. There definitely weren't any riches here. But we spent the night at an inn that had comfortable beds.

In the morning we walked around the small town for awhile, talking to some of the people and hoping to get information on Sephiroth's whereabouts.

One man was looking at Cloud strangely. "That glare in your eye…you in SOLDIER?"

The woman standing beside the man noticed Cloud, too. "Do you know anything about our son?"

"His name is Zack," added the man. "It's been close to ten years since he left, saying that he didn't want to live in the country…He left saying he was going to join SOLDIER. Do you know him? Do you know Zack?"

I turned to Cloud, knowing that Zack had been his friend at the academy.

Cloud shrugged. "I don't know…"

Aeris looked down sadly and whispered, "Zack…"

The woman moved closer to Aeris. "Young lady, you know him? I remember he wrote us six or seven years ago saying that he had a girlfriend. Could that have been you?"

Aeris shook her head. "No…Sorry." She quickly walked away.

I turned to Cloud again, waiting for him to say something about Zack. When he didn't, I walked away as well. Zack was dead. If these two people were his parents, I didn't want to be the one to tell them their son was dead.

Cloud walked up to me, looking a bit suspicious. "Do you know Zack?"

According to Cloud's version of the Nibelheim incident, Zack hadn't been there with Sephiroth. So technically I wouldn't have known Zack. Not sure of the truth anymore, I shook my head. "No…I don't know him."

"Your face tells me differently."

"I told you, I don't!"

Cloud held up a hand. "Okay, okay."

I folded my arms across my chest. "Sounds just like you, leaving town and joining SOLDIER."

"There were a lot of guys that went."

I wanted Cloud to come out and tell me the truth…that he hadn't come home five years ago. But I didn't know how to bring the subject up without me directly calling him a liar. "You must really be something making it in SOLDIER out of all the others that went."

Cloud blinked several times. "I…I just got lucky, I guess."

Maybe I didn't want to know the truth anymore. Maybe it was more important for me to believe that Cloud believed he was there. I took his hand. "Come on, let's go find Aeris."

We found her sitting against the wall of one of the huts.

She looked up at us with tears in her eyes. "What a shock…I didn't know Zack was from this town."

"You knew him?" asked Cloud.

"Didn't I tell you? He was the first man I ever loved. Zack…SOLDIER First Class. Same as you."

Cloud shifted uncomfortably. "There weren't that many who made First Class, but I've never heard of him."

I knew it was a lie. Cloud wrote to me about Zack. How could he say he'd never heard of him?

Aeris shrugged. "It's all right. It's all in the past now. I was just worried because I heard he'd been missing."

"Missing?"

"I think it was five years ago. He went on a mission and never came back." She smiled even though tears were still coming down her cheeks. "He loved women, a real lady's man. He probably found someone else…I just feel for his parents."

I moved closer and put an arm around her shoulder, trying to comfort her. She didn't know Zack was dead either. I couldn't say anything, not after telling Cloud I didn't know Zack.

"We should get going," said Cloud.

Aeris wiped her eyes and nodded. "Yes, let's move on."

I kept my arm around Aeris as we followed Cloud in search of the others. In the back of my mind I kept wondering why Cloud was maintaining this charade. Why was he making everyone, including me, believe that he had been in Nibelheim at the time Sephiroth destroyed it? He seemed to be walking in the same steps as Zack Fair. Was this the reason he was also saying he didn't know Zack?

It was all driving me crazy, but since I didn't know why Cloud was lying, I had to pretend to believe him. But for how long?

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I am so excited about the next chapter, so expect it to be posted very quickly after this one.

_Please leave feedback. Thanks._


	12. Chapter 12

_Author's Note – Okay, so I'm excited about posting this chapter because of what's about to happen in the present time. Hope you enjoy!_

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Chapter 12

**JUNON – the present**

It was 10:45pm when I spotted Fenrir coming down the main avenue. There were no other vehicles on the road at this hour.

I watched from one of the bedroom windows of the Junon Inn penthouse as Cloud stopped on the side of the street, parking beneath a streetlight. He dismounted and after drawing his sword from the harness on his back, he walked into the diner below. I couldn't see what was happening from up here. Hopefully Cloud wasn't killing anybody for information.

A few minutes later Cloud left the diner and made his way across the street to the train station. Apparently the waitress and the people in the diner didn't give him any information or he would have been on his way to the Inn.

After exchanging a few words with the employee at the ticket window, he slammed his gloved fist against the wall, making the girl jump. I expected him to raise his sword at any moment. But he backed a few steps away from the window and left.

I watched him walk back to Fenrir. He pulled his cellphone out of his pocket and made a call.

My phone buzzed where it rested on the coffee table.

I quickly crossed the room and grabbed it. "Cloud…"

"Tifa, you didn't listen to any of the messages I left on your phone, did you?"

"Actually, I did." I walked back to the window and looked down at him.

He sat sideways on the motorcycle seat. "I'm sorry for acting like such a jerk off. I didn't know what was going on. I'm here in Junon now. Tell me where they're holding you."

"Listen to me, Cloud, I wasn't kidnapped."

"I get it. You can't talk, right? Are they right there?"

"There's nobody here. I'm by myself. The Turks have nothing to do with this."

"They're forcing you to say that to me, aren't they?"

"No, I said there's no one with me…"

"I'll skin them alive if they hurt you."

I lost my patience. "Cloud, stop it!"

"…" Silence.

"What is the matter with you? Why are you falling apart like this?"

"I need to see that you're all right."

"I'm fine and you're not going to see me."

"Tifa…"

"You wanna know the truth? I've decided I need a break away from _you_."

"What?"

"You heard me."

"No…don't do this."

"Why not?"

"Because I…I just…"

I waited for him to continue. When he didn't I sighed heavily. "Yeah, I figured you wouldn't have anything to say."

"I don't like talking on the phone," he admitted slowly.

"On the phone…at home…you don't like talking anywhere, Cloud."

"We're supposed to go to the villa in Costa Del Sol. We're supposed to talk there."

"What's so different about Costa Del Sol that you can talk there, but not in our own home?"

"I don't know. I just wanna be somewhere that doesn't remind me of everyday shit."

I felt a stab in my heart. "Everyday shit…is that what I am to you?"

He groaned. "Tifa, come on. You know that's not what I mean."

"So what're we supposed to talk about?"

"Us."

"I don't think I want to hear it."

"You're assuming it's bad."

"Well, isn't it?"

"No…"

"Why don't I believe you?"

"You used to believe everything I said, even when you knew it wasn't the truth. What's changed?"

"You don't think you've changed, Cloud?"

"A lot's happened to me. You know that."

"I can't be your crutch forever."

"I know. I need to learn to let go."

"Apparently, so do I."

"Maybe you're right. Maybe you should stay away from me for awhile."

"It's not what I really want."

"Marlene and Denzel need you more than they need me. I'll leave."

"Did you even hear what I said? It's not what I want, Cloud." My cellphone chirped and I quickly looked at it. It was the battery. "My phone's about to die. Listen, I'm sorry. I didn't mean to upset you. We'll go to Costa Del Sol just like you wanted and we'll talk. Okay?"

"Tifa, there's something I need to say to you. I…"

Silence.

"Cloud?" No reply. "Cloud?" I glanced at my phone.

It was dead.

"Shit." It was time to leave anyway. I rushed around the room, grabbing all of my things before heading to the door and flinging it open.

On the other side were Reno and Rude.

"Were you two eavesdropping on me?" I asked indignantly.

"Us? Never." Reno looked guilty regardless. "The boss wants to see you."

"Maybe next time." I tried to push my way between them, but they wouldn't let me pass.

"Sorry, Tifa," said Rude.

"But Cloud is…" I stopped myself before mentioning that Cloud was in town. "I have to go."

The next thing I knew, they were dragging me down the hall to a doorway at the end.

"What're you doing? Let me go!"

On the other side of the door was a stairway. They had to pick me up and carry me because I wasn't going as quietly as they thought I would.

At the top of the stairs was another door that Rude kicked open.

We were on the roof. What was their plan? Were they going to throw me off?

The sound of a helicopter reached my ears. I turned in the direction Reno and Rude were carrying me. Sure enough, a Shinra helicopter with spinning blades looked ready to take off.

I was tossed unceremoniously inside, crashing into someone in the back seat.

"Sorry," hollered Rude.

I pushed away from the hands that tried to help me into the seat. When I turned to see who it was, maybe I wasn't so surprised to find Rufus Shinra sitting there with a smug smile on his face.

"Ready to go?" asked Reno as he sat himself at the controls.

"Ready," Shinra replied.

Less than a minute later, we were airborne.

As the helicopter left the rooftop and banked toward the street, I pasted my hands and face against the glass. I saw Cloud still sitting on Fenrir, punching numbers on his cellphone.

He suddenly looked up just as the Shinra helicopter passed directly over his head.

Our eyes met for just a brief second before he was no longer in sight and we were flying over the water.

**

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COSMO CANYON – the past

For some odd reason, the Buggy's engine suddenly died as we tried passing through a canyon.

"Whattup, Cloud?" asked Barret from the backseat.

Cloud shook his head as he tried to figure out what was wrong. "Don't know. It just stopped."

"Open the door," Red XIII panted. "Let me out!"

I opened the door on my side and stepped out just before Red bolted from inside the Buggy. Everyone else got out and we all followed Red toward a staircase carved into the stone.

"I'm home!" Red called out.

At the top of the staircase, I found myself staring at a town built into the mountains.

"Hey, Nanaki! You're safe!" said a man standing guard beneath an archway.

Cloud glanced at me briefly. "Nanaki?"

The guard looked at all of us. "Welcome to Cosmo Canyon. People from all over the world gather here to study planet life."

"Yeah!" Barret whooped. "I always wanted to come here!"

"Unfortunately we're at full capacity at present, so I'm afraid I can't let you enter."

Red turned to the guard. "They helped me escape my captors. Please let them in."

The guard looked at all of us again. "Is that so? You helped our Nanaki? Well then, that's different. Please, come in."

Cloud leaned toward the guard. "Who's Nanaki?"

The guard pointed to Red. "That's his name."

Red stood looking at the town. "Here is where I was…I mean…this is my hometown. My tribe were protectors of those who appreciate this beautiful canyon and the planet. My brave mother fought and died here, but my cowardly father left her. I am the last of my race."

"Cowardly father?" asked Cloud.

"Good timin'," said Barret. "Let's take a breather. I got stuff I want to find out, too."

Cloud motioned me to follow him and we went with Red…or Nanaki…up a series of stairways.

In one of the homes, we were greeted by a man with a thick white mustache. "Nanaki, you've come home!"

Cloud and I stood off to the side as the two greeted each other.

"Cloud, Tifa…this is my grandfather, Bugenhagen. He is incredible. He knows everything."

"Ho, ho, hoooo. So you looked after Nanaki. Thank you. He is still a child afterall.

"Please stop, grandfather. I'm 48."

"Nanaki's tribe has incredible longevity," Bugenhagen explained. "So you see, his 48 years would only be equivalent to say that of a fifteen or sixteen year old in human reckoning."

Cloud and I exchanged a surprised look.

"He's quiet and very deep. You thought he was an adult?"

"Well, yeah," said Cloud.

"You can't stand on your own yet, Nanaki. To do so now would destroy you in the long run. Reaching up into the heavens, threatening to snatch the very stars from the great city of Midgar. You've seen it, haven't you? Well, that's a bad example. Looking up too much makes you lose perspective. When it's time for this planet to die, you'll understand that you know absolutely nothing."

"When the planet dies?" Cloud asked before I could.

"It may be tomorrow or 100 years from now. But it's not long off."

"How do you know this?"

"I hear the cries of the planet."

"Whatta you mean by that?"

"The sound of the stars in the heavens. Planets are born and they die. They suffer…they hurt…"

Red stepped forward. "They have come here on a journey to save the planet. Why don't you show them your apparatus?"

Bugenhagen chuckled. "To save the planet?" He continued to laugh as we followed him up a ladder into another room.

The room was round and all around us I saw what looked like planets. So lifelike…

"This is my laboratory," said Bugenhagen. "All the workings of space are entered into this 3D holographic system."

I grabbed Cloud's arm excitedly and pointed. "Look! A shooting star!"

Bugenhagen chuckled. "Yes, it is something, isn't it? Well, let's get to the subject. Eventually... all humans die. What happens to them after they die? The body decomposes and returns to the planet. That much everyone knows. What about their consciousness, their hearts and their souls? The soul too returns to the planet. And not only those of humans, but everything on this planet. In fact, all living things in the universe are the same. The spirits that return to the planet, merge with one another and roam together. They roam, converge and divide, becoming a swell called the Lifestream. Lifestream…in other words, a path of energy of the souls roaming the planet. Spirit Energy is a word that you should never forget. A new life…children are blessed with Spirit Energy and are brought into the world. Then the time comes when they die and once again return to the planet…Of course there are exceptions, but this is the way of the world."

"So, if the Spirit energy is lost, then our Planet is destroyed?" Cloud asked."

"Spirit Energy is efficient _because_ it exists within nature. When it's forcefully extracted and manufactured, it can't accomplish its true purpose."

"You're talking about Mako energy, right?"

"Mako reactors suck up Spirit Energy on a daily basis, diminishing it. Spirit Energy gets compressed in the reactors and processed into Mako energy. All living things are being used up and thrown away. In other words, Mako energy will eventually destroy the planet."

I couldn't believe what Bugenhagen was saying. I knew we were fighting for a cause, but this was huge.

"If you want to know more," Bugenhagen continued to say. "…then you must listen to the words of the elders."

Cloud's eyes seemed to be glowing brightly in the dimly lit room. It was almost eerie. We sat down and listened to Bugenhagen as shared more of his knowledge with us.

Later that night Cloud and I met up with the rest of the group. They were all sitting around a campfire. After I sat down, I followed Cloud with my eyes as he crouched down to talk to Barret.

"Cosmo Canyon," said Barret as he stared into the fire. "This is where AVALANCHE was born. I promised my guys someday, when we saved the planet from the Shinra, that we'd all go to Cosmo Canyon and celebrate. Biggs…Wedge…Jessie…Now they're all gone…died to save the planet. Will they ever forgive me for leading them to their deaths? I really don't know. But I know one thing. If there's anything I can do to save the planet…or the people livin' on it…then I'm gonna do it! I don't care if it's for justice or revenge or whatever. I don't care."

Next to Barret sat Yuffie. "What a boring place! I wanna go somewhere! Let's go find some Materia!"

"I learned a lot," Aeris spoke up. "The elders taught me many things. About the Cetra and the Promised Land. I'm alone. I'm all alone now…"

Cloud turned to her. "We're here for you, Aeris."

"I know. I know, but…I'm the only…Cetra."

"Does that mean we can't help?" When he didn't get an answer, Cloud stood up and moved around until he was between me and Nanaki. Then he sat down.

I smiled as I stared into the flames. "Bonfires are funny, aren't they? They make you remember all sorts of things." I turned toward Cloud. "Like what happened five years ago."

Cloud stared back at me…and for a brief second I thought he might say something.

But then Red started to speak. "Long ago, when I was still very small. We were all around this fire…No, never mind…"

"What happened?" I asked.

"It's about my parents. When I talk about my mother, I am full of pride and joy. But when I remember my father, my heart is full of anger."

Bugenhagen joined us. "You really can't forgive your father?"

"How can I? He left my mother for dead. When the Gi tribe attacked, he ran off by himself, leaving mother and the people of the Canyon!"

"Come, Nanaki. There's something you should see."

When Bugenhagen and Red left the bonfire, Cloud and I exchanged a glance before we quickly went to join them.

**

* * *

**

CAVE OF GI – the past

Cloud and I stood with Bugenhagen and Red in front of a door with steel bars sealing it to the wall.

Bugenhagen glanced at each of us. "It's dangerous in there. So we must all be alert. Ready?"

Cloud gave a nod.

Bugenhagen pulled a lever and the steel bars slid away from in front of the door. A hiss followed as the door slowly opened.

The four of us walked through the doorway one by one, entering a large cave with many dark openings.

"Everyone here is a Ghost of the Gi Tribe," explained Bugenhagen. "Killed in a certain battle. The vengeful spirits of the Gi didn't disappear and couldn't return to the Lifestream. Come, we have far to go."

Giant insect creatures attacked us on three different occasions while we headed toward another cave. Luckily they didn't take to fire very well. Cloud and I used Fire materia as often as we could.

Bugenhagen was pleased with the way Red handled the insects and praised him.

Upon entering the next cave, Bugenhagen waved a hand around. "As you can see, this cave leads to the back of Cosmo Canyon. It was fortunate that the Gi were larger then us. If they had been able to fit in these caves and attacked through here, we wouldn't have stood a chance."

We moved on into the next cave.

"One warrior took this same path all alone. Fighting attackers one after another…"

"Grandpa…That warrior…?" Red started to ask.

"We're almost there."

After another cave, we were confronted by something Bugenhagen referred to as Gi Nattak.

When the fight was over, Bugenhagen sighed in relief. "Thank you, Cloud and Tifa. Because of you, we survived. Nanaki, you have grown strong, too."

Red smiled proudly in his own animalistic manner.

"Now I know it wasn't a mistake bringing you here. Come, I have something I want to show you. Right through this opening."

We entered the final cave and saw that it was actually a small gulley.

I gasped outloud when I saw what looked like a large statue of a creature that looked just like Red. The statue had been impaled by dozens of arrows.

Red was more surprised than I when he saw the statue.

"The warrior who fought against the Gi," Bugenhagen said solemnly. "He kept them from taking even one step into Cosmo Canyon. Even after the Gi's poisonous arrows turned his body to stone…Even after they all ran away…he continued to protect us and still protects us even now. But he was never able to return to town." Bugenhagen turned to Red. "You thought that he was a coward and ran away. But he alone risked his life to protect Cosmo Canyon. That is your father, Seto."

Red looked on sorrowfully. "That is Seto? Did mother know?"

"Yes, she knew. She made me promise to keep this cave shut and asked me to seal it myself and not tell a soul."

Red shook his head. "I don't know what to say. All this time…"

"I wanted to show you your real father before you left on your journey. I'm so glad that you came back this way."

Red raised his head. "I am Nanaki of Cosmo Canyon! The son of the warrior, Seto! I'll come back a warrior true to that noble name!"

Bugenhagen smiled proudly.

**

* * *

**

NIBELHEIM – the past

We stayed in Cosmos Canyon until morning. After Bugenhagen's people helped fix our Buggy, we headed north.

Cloud and I were both quiet when everyone decided on our next destination. Barret took up the driver's seat after awhile to give Cloud a break and Aeris sat beside him. Yuffie, Red and Cait Sith were sitting in the middle seat. That left the back seat available for Cloud and I.

"You nervous?" he asked me.

I stared wide-eyed at him. "A little bit."

"Have you been back since it happened?"

"Just once. Professor Zangan was taking care of me. We came back to see if anyone else survived besides us. There weren't very many."

Cloud gave me a troubled look.

I knew what he was thinking about. His mother. She hadn't been among the survivors.

Several hours later, Barret stopped the Buggy at the foot of the crest leading into town. We all got out. Everyone waited for Cloud and I to go first.

Cloud took my hand. "Ready?"

I nodded nervously, not sure I really wanted to do this. But we had to see if Sephiroth left any clues in the mansion.

After a deep breath, we both started walking up the hill.

Steeling myself for the sight of the charred houses and buildings that would greet us, I stood stunned when I actually looked down to see what remained of our town. Everything looked normal…all the houses and buildings stood untouched…as if nothing happened. "It was all burnt down before. Am I seeing things?"

Cloud was just as shocked.

"My house…it's still there too…"

Barret came up beside us with the others. "The hell's goin' on!? This a dream or somethin'?"

"This can't be," Cloud whispered. "I remember…the intense heat of the flames…"

We proceeded forward. Some people were walking along the sidewalks, looking strangely at us.

"Somebody must have rebuilt the town," Cloud commented. "Do you recognize anyone?"

I didn't recognize anyone. None of these people were original citizens of Nibelheim. "No."

"Let's just do what we have to do here and leave as soon as possible." Cloud led the way to the dilapidated Shinra mansion.

After searching around the main floor, we found nothing but several monsters lurking around that needed to be disposed of. On the second floor, Cloud found a key that didn't go to any of the doors on that level. Then he led the way to one of the bedrooms and pressed a certain brick on the fireplace.

A doorway appeared.

I raised my eyebrows. Interesting. How did Cloud know there had been a secret passage? Unless he had been in the mansion before…

We went down a long stairway that spiraled along the walls of the circular tower.

At the bottom we walked into a dank and dingy room with two wooden doors. One of them was locked.

Cloud tried the key and as luck would have it, the door opened.

Inside the dim room was a coffin.

Barret stepped forward and before anyone could stop him, he lifted the lid of the coffin.

To our surprise, there was a man in a red cape lying inside it. A well-preserved corpse. Who knew how long he had been in the coffin. Just then his eyes came open. After everyone jumped back in fright, Cloud bravely moved back to the coffin.

"I was having a nightmare," the strange man said in a hushed voice. "My long sleep has given me time to atone."

Cloud briefly glanced back at us and shrugged before turning back to the man in the coffin. "'Scuse me?"

"I have nothing to say to strangers. Get out. This mansion is the beginning of your nightmare."

"You can say that again."

The man sat upright and gave Cloud a cursory once-over. "What do you know?"

"I know Sephiroth. Like you said, this mansion is the beginning of a nightmare. He lost his mind after he found the secrets hidden here…"

"Sephiroth!? You know Sephiroth?"

"Unfortunately I know too much about him." He went on to tell the strange man all he knew. When the tale was over, Cloud folded his arms. "So what do you know about him?"

"Sorry…I cannot speak of it."

Barret jumped forward. "Hey! You lyin' white-faced…!"

"Hearing your stories has added upon me yet another sin. More nightmares shall come to me now, more than I previously had. Now…please leave." The stranger laid back down, closing the coffin lid along the way.

Looking frustrated, Cloud flung the lid back open.

"You're still here?" the stranger asked in annoyance.

"Who the hell are you?"

The stranger sat upright again. "The name's Vincent. I was with…the Shinra Manufacturing Department in Administrative Research, otherwise known as…the Turks."

Cloud glared angrily. "You're with the Turks!?"

Vincent held up a hand. "Formerly of the Turks. I have no affiliation with Shinra now. And you all are?"

Cloud made the introductions.

"So you were also with Shinra?" Vincent asked. "Did you happen to know Lucrecia?"

"Who?"

"Lucrecia. The woman who gave birth to Sephiroth."

"Gave birth...? I thought Jenova was Sephiroth's mother?"

"That isn't entirely wrong, but just a theory. He was born from a beautiful lady. That lady was Lucrecia. She was an assistant to Professor Gast of the Jenova Project. Beautiful Lucrecia."

"So she was a human experiment?"

"There was no way to cancel the experiment. I couldn't stop her. That was my sin. I let the one I loved…the one I respected most…face the worst." Vincent hung his head sadly. Then he laid back down and closed the lid once again. "Let me sleep…"

This time Cloud didn't reopen it. "We should leave him alone."

We all followed Cloud out of the room and through the second doorway. The next room was a library.

Just then we were confronted by Sephiroth. Everyone drew their weapons simultaneously. Except me…I just had my fists.

"Sephiroth!" Cloud yelled.

The madman looked up at the mention of his name. "Being here brings back memories. Are you going to participate in the Reunion?"

"What Reunion? What're you talking about?"

"Jenova will be at the Reunion. She will join the Reunion becoming a calamity from the skies."

"A calamity from the skies? You mean she wasn't an Ancient!?" Cloud glanced briefly in Aeris's direction.

Sephiroth frowned. "I don't think you have the right to participate. I will go North past Mt Nibel. If you wish to find out…then follow…"

Cloud stepped forward, holding his buster sword. But Sephiroth levitated and suddenly flew over all of our heads. When he disappeared out of the library, Cloud turned and started to rush out.

We all followed behind him.

Just as we reached the main floor, Vincent suddenly appeared. "Wait! If I go with you, will I meet Hojo?"

"Dunno," replied Cloud. "But we're after him and Sephiroth. So, chances are pretty good…"

Vincent nodded. "All right. I've decided to go with you."

Barret held up his gunarm. "No one invited you!"

"Being a former Turk, I may be of help to you."

Cloud pushed Barret's gunarm away. "Fine. Let's go."

We left Nibelheim and all its strange people behind, heading further north and to whatever awaited us.

_

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_

Haha! As someone pointed out in a review, I have the luxury to bring two cliffhangers with every chapter. So there! :oP

_Please leave feedback. Thanks._


	13. Chapter 13

__

Author's Note – We're about to wander into the land of "loose ends" in this chapter. But I promise that all loose ends will be tied by the time we reach the end of this story.

_A lot of people have been asking for more of the present story. I'm not sure if I can explain it very well, but here goes. The past story is about three times longer than the present, so that means I have to spread the present story enough to fit the chapters of the past story. That's why the present story is not as long on every chapter. Hopefully my little cliffies will make up for it. :o) The present story has a lot of surprises. The main conflict is actually something I had written many, many years ago for a different fandom (I wonder if anyone out there will recognize it). I decided to adopt it and change it to fit the Final Fantasy 7 world. I hope you'll find it intriguing. Incidentally, there may be some chapters much later where the present won't be from Tifa's point of view due to the action involved._

_That about sums it up._

**

* * *

**

Chapter 13

**Somewhere Over the Sea**

"Mind if I ask where the hell you're taking me?"

"No, I don't mind you asking at all." Rufus Shinra wasn't even looking at me. He was busy punching keys on a white laptop. The man knew absolutely no other colors except black and white…well, except for his blonde hair.

I waited for him to tell me our destination. Was he taking my question too literally? Okay, I'd play along. "So where the hell are you taking me?"

"Forgive me, but I can't share that at the moment."

"You said you didn't mind if I asked."

He still wasn't looking at me as a smug smile graced his fair features. "That's right, I said I don't mind if you ask. However, I didn't imply that I would answer."

I had a few choice words for him, but decided to keep quiet. Instead I leaned forward, closer to the seat in front of me where Rude sat. "Rude?"

Rude turned around.

I gave him the most sincerest smile I could muster. Since he still harbored a small crush on me, maybe I could get some answers out of him. "Where are we going?"

"The Forgotten Cap…" He froze and slapped a hand over his mouth. "Oops." His wide eyes wandered to Shinra.

I glanced over my shoulder and noticed the killer look Shinra was giving Rude.

Shinra's eyes shifted to me. "Don't force me to gag you, Miss Lockhart. I'd like to keep this friendly."

"Friendly? There's nothing friendly about a kidnapping."

"Kidnapping is such a…harsh word. I'd rather call this an invitation."

I sat back in my seat and folded my arms. "This is hardly an invitation. You do realize that Cloud is going to be very upset about this."

"Yes, I realize."

"And he'll come after me."

"That's exactly what I'm hoping for."

I frowned at him. "What're you up to? I thought you decided to mend your ways and be a good guy for a change."

He closed the lid of his laptop and gave me his undivided attention. "What makes you think I have something terrible planned?"

"Past experience makes me think that way, Shinra."

"If I recall correctly, I was the one who told Cloud about Kadaj and his brothers."

"And that nearly got him killed."

"Cloud had an encounter with them before he came to Healin. I told him Kadaj was a remnant of Sephiroth. I was trying to prepare him so he knew what to expect."

"For your information, Cloud had Geostigma, just like you did."

"Hm. He hid it well. But he must have known he wouldn't have been able to hide it from you. Hence the reason he left home."

My brows crinkled together in anger. "How would you know anything about that?"

"Come now, Tifa. You don't mind if I call you Tifa, do you?"

"You didn't answer my question. Or are you afraid to tell me that your goons monitor Cloud's every move?"

"Perhaps I can help your situation."

"What situation?"

"Whatever the problem is between you and Cloud."

I couldn't help but laugh. "You're joking, right?" He didn't look like he was so I stopped laughing. "I told you before, Cloud and I are not having problems."

"Why do you insist on denying it?"

"If I recall I also told you it's none of your business."

"Yes, you did. But you know me well enough to know everyone's business is my own."

I rolled my eyes. "This is ridiculous. Can you please bring me back?"

"Out of the question."

"I spent ten minutes trying to convince Cloud you didn't kidnap me and now this."

"That's the beauty of it."

I pulled my cellphone out of my pocket. "I'll call him and tell him what happened."

"By all means, please do so."

I stared at the blank display screen on my phone and lowered it to my lap in frustration.

"Is something wrong?"

"Yes, my damned phone is dead."

Shinra smiled and held his hand out. When I placed my phone in it, he leaned forward with it. "Rude, would you be so kind as to charge Tifa's phone, please."

Rude took the phone. "Yes, sir."

Shinra leaned back in his seat. "There. It should only be a few minutes and then you can call Cloud."

I studied his face, the gleam in his eye. "You want me to tell him something specific?"

"As a matter of fact, I do."

"Can't wait to hear this."

"I want you to tell him that the search for the Promised Land is on again."

"Didn't you learn the last time that the Promised Land doesn't exist? You have to be dead to see it."

"Yes, I'm well aware of that fact. I have no intention to search for it, but that's what I want you to tell him."

Why did Shinra want me to lie to Cloud? "I'm not telling him that."

"You will, or someone you know and hold dear to your heart will be injured."

My jaw dropped open. "You wouldn't dare."

"Try me."

Who would Shinra hurt if I didn't cooperate? Marlene or Denzel? Yuffie? "You're still the conniving bastard I remember you to be."

"Coming from you, I'll take that as a compliment." He leaned forward with his hand stretched out. "Rude? The phone please?"

Rude unplugged my cellphone from the charger and handed it to Shinra, who in turn handed it to me.

I bit my lower lip as I selected Cloud's name from my call list and put the phone to my ear.

He answered on the first ring. "Tifa, what happened?"

"Sorry about that, but my phone died."

"I'm not talking about your phone. I saw you in Shinra's helicopter."

"Yeah, well, it turns out that I actually _have_ been kidnapped."

I pulled the phone away from my ear when he loudly let out a string of curses on the other end. When he stopped, I put the phone back to my ear. "I'm supposed to tell you that the search for the Promised Land is on again."

"What?! Where're they taking you?"

"The Forgotten Capital."

"Shit…There isn't a ship docked in Junon. I'll have to call Cid."

"You'd be there before us."

"By the way," Shinra interrupted. "If Cloud involves any other of his AVALANCHE friends, you, Tifa, will suffer the consequences."

My eyes spied the silver pistol resting in a holster strapped to his hip. "Did you hear that, Cloud?"

"Yeah, I heard him."

"Well, don't listen to him. I can take care of myself."

"Tifa, don't do anything stupid."

"Cloud…"

"No, promise me."

"Okay, I promise."

"There's gotta be a boat around here somewhere."

"It's late. No one'll be at the dock."

"If I have to, I'll steal one. I'll call you later."

After Cloud hung up, I closed my phone and looked at Shinra. "Are you going to tell me what you're planning to do?"

"Not yet."

I sighed heavily. "Look, Shinra, if it has anything to do with Aeris, you might as well forget about it."

"Well, aren't we the insightful one."

It was time to act. "What're you looking for? What do you want from _me_?!" Before Shinra could react, I lunged at him and grabbed the pistol. I could tell he was surprised that I could move that fast.

As I pointed the pistol at his face, he had the gall to smile that stupid little smug smile. "Hmm, that I hadn't expected."

From the corner of my eye, I saw Rude and Reno both turn in their seats to see what was going on.

"Alright, Lockhart," said Reno. "Make nice and give the pistol back."

"Not going to happen. Take me back or I shoot your boss in the face."

"You won't do it," Shinra stated confidently.

I smiled at his confidence. He didn't know me very well. "Says who?"

"You're not a gun user. You fight with your fists."

"Well, tonight I'm going to make an exception."

Just then Reno sent the helicopter into a sickening spin.

I lost my balance and flew into the back of Rude's seat. As I tried to regain myself, Shinra grabbed both of my wrists, forcing them above my head. Two shots accidentally went off.

The motor sputtered and the blades suddenly stopped spinning.

"Uh oh…" said Reno.

I felt a sickening drop as the helicopter went into a sudden nose dive.

**

* * *

**

ROCKET TOWN – the past

We stopped at Rocket Town next. It was appropriately named, I thought, the moment we stepped foot on the main road. In the distance, there was a huge, rusty rocket. It was oddly tilted to one side.

"Wonder what they'd make something that huge for?" Cloud speculated.

"'Bout five years of rust on that sucker," Barret thought.

"Hey, check that out," Yuffie said as she pointed to the back of one of the houses.

We walked around the side of the house. Sitting on the lawn in the backyard was a small airplane with propellers.

Cloud inspected the side. "There's a Shinra logo on it. Tiny Bronco…This is cool!"

Barret ran a hand over the tail section. "They always keep the most useful things to themselves. Let's steal it!"

Just then a woman stepped out of the back door. "Um…may I help you?"

Cloud was the first to respond. "No…We're just looking at it."

"If you would like to use it, please ask the Captain. The Captain should be in the rocket. I'm Shera. And what are your names?"

Cloud was good at introducing us, so we let him handle it.

"Oh, so you're not with the Shinra," Shera observed. "I thought the approval for the reopening of the Space Program came."

"'Scuse me?"

"President Rufus is scheduled to come here. The Captain's been so restless all morning."

"Rufus is coming!?" Cloud exchanged with the rest of us.

"Perhaps we should speak to the Captain?" Red suggested.

Our group headed along a path and came to a ladder leading up to a platform alongside the rocket.

"I don't think all of us have to go," said Cloud. He pointed to me and Barret. "The rest of you keep a lookout."

Barret climbed the ladder first, followed by Cloud, leaving me to bring up the rear.

Inside the rocket was a man with goggles resting on his forehead. "What're you guys doin' here?"

Barret and I decided to let Cloud do all he talking.

"We heard the Captain was here."

"I'm the Captain! The name's Cid. Everyone calls me 'Captain', though. So whatta ya want?"

"What's up with this rocket."

"You wanna know about this rocket, kid? I'll tell ya. You know Shinra developed a lot of technological gadgets during the meaningless war, right? Now it's a Mako company, but in the old days it was a weapons manufacturer. Well, they came up with a Rocket Engine. There was a lot of thought about going into outer space. Our dreams got bigger and bigger. They put a major budget into it and made prototype after prototype! Finally, they completed Shinra No. 26. They chose the best pilot in Shinra…no, in the world…me. I mean, come on. And finally we get to the day of the launch. Everything was goin' well…But because of that dumb-ass Shera, the launch got messed up. Then, it was all over once they found out Mako energy was profitable. They didn't even so much as look at space exploration anymore. Money, moola, dinero! My dream was just a financial number for them! Look at this rusted rocket. I was supposed to be the first man in space with this. Everyday, it tilts a little bit more. At this rate, I don't know which will come first, this thing falling down or me gettin' outta here. My last hope is to talk to the President…"

"So Rufus is coming here?"

"Yeah! It must be news about restarting the Space Program. A young President, that's what we need! I bet he still has dreams, too!"

"Mind if we borrow the Tiny Bronco?"

"You out of your fucking mind!? That's my most cherished possession. I can't let you take it."

Cloud turned to Barret and I. He had that look in his eyes, probably intending to take it anyway. "Thanks anyway, Captain." He motioned for us to leave.

We headed down the ladder and back to Shera's house. Cloud, Barret and I went inside while the others decided to scout the rest of the town.

"Did the Captain say anything?" asked Shera.

Cloud shook his head. "Nope…"

"Oh?"

Cid walked in and saw us. Fuck, Shera! What are you blind!? We got guests!! Make some tea or something! Shit!"

Shera nodded quickly. "Yes, I…I'm sorry."

"Really, don't mind us," said Cloud.

Cid pointed a finger at Cloud's nose. "Shut up! Sit your ass down in that chair and drink some goddamned tea!" He threw his arms up. "Damn, I'm pissed! Shera, I'll be in the backyard tunin' up Tiny Bronco! An' make sure to serve them some tea!" he stormed out the back door.

Barret turned to Shera. "Damn, man. Wassup with that guy's attitude?"

"Sorry, Shera," Cloud apologized. "It's our fault."

I watched Shera busily making tea. She was completely flustered. Why in the world would she allow Cid to speak to her in that manner?

"No, no. It's alright. He's always like this."

I shook my head, angry for her. "How can you live with him?"

"No…It's because of my stupid mistake. I was the one who destroyed his dream…"

Shera motioned for us to sit down and she served us hot tea.

"So what happened?" asked Cloud.

Shera sat down at the table with us. "It was launch day. I was in the engine room, checking the oxygen tank. The Captain was telling me to hurry. I was going as fast as I could, but I had to make sure the tank would withstand the stress of the launch." She sipped her tea. "The countdown began alittle while later and then a siren went off."

"_What the…? What happened!?"_

"_Cid, we have an emergency situation! A mechanic is still in the engine section of the rocket!"_

"_What!? Who the fuck is it!?_

"_I don't know. Activating the intercom in the engine section."_

"_Hey Goddammit!! Who the fuck's still in there?"_

"_It's Shera, Captain. Don't mind me, go ahead with the launch."_

"_Shera!? What are you still doin' in there!?"_

"_I was concerned because the results of the oxygen tank test weren't satisfactory."_

"_You stupid little shit! It's gonna get so hot in there that there ain't gonna be shit left when we blast off! You're gonna be burnt to a crisp! You're gonna die! You know that, doncha!?"_

"_Don't worry about me. If I can just fix this, the launch will be a success. I'm almost done."_

"_Almost done!? You're gonna die!"_

"_Cid, we started the countdown. We have to start the engines!"_

"_Hey, wait a minute! Shera's still down there!"_

"_What do you want to do, Cid? If we cancel now, it'll be another six months until the next launch!"_

"_Goddammit, Shera, you wanna make me a murderer?"_

"_Captain! Tank Number 7 check is complete. Once I complete Tank Number 8, it's all clear."_

"_Come on, Shera! Hurry up! You're gonna die!"_

"_30 seconds until ignition. Beginning countdown. Cid! Forget about her. We won't make it in time."_

"_What…what am I…What am I supposed to do…?"_

"_Fifteen seconds until ignition. Internal temperature rising."_

"_Oh man, the moon…outer space…my dreams…"_

"_Ignite engine."_

"_Sh…it!!"_

"He pushed the Emergency Shut Down switch, aborting the mission, to save my life. After that, the Space Program was cut back and the launch was canceled. It's my fault his dream was destroyed. That's why it's all right. I don't care what the Captain says to me. I'll live my life for him."

Cid came back in. "Shera! What're you doing sittin' on your ass! Get up and make them something to eat!"

Shera quickly got up. "Sorry."

Cid took her seat and put his feet up on the table. "They're late. Where's Rufus?"

Palmer walked in through the front door, his belly entering the room before the rest of him. "Hey there, Cid. How ya been?"

Cid jumped out of the chair. "Well, if it ain't fat man, Palmer. How long were you figurin' on keepin' me waitin'!? So? When's the Space Program gonna start up again?"

"The President is outside. Why don't you ask him?"

Cid stomped toward the door, grumbling under his breath. "Shit. Good for nothing, fat fuck."

Palmer ignored him. "Oh, tea! May I have some, too? With lotsa sugar and honey and…oh yeah, don't forget the lard!"

I made a disgusted sound and followed Cloud and Barret out of the house.

We saw Cid standing in front of Rufus Shinra.

"What the…! You got me all excited for nothing!? Then, what'd you come here for?"

"I want to borrow the Tiny Bronco. We're going after Sephiroth. But seems like we've been going in the wrong direction. We think we know where he's headed now and have to cross the ocean. That's why we want your plane."

"Shit! First you take my Airship, then the rocket, and now the Tiny Bronco. Shinra took outer space away from me and now you want to take the sky away from me too!?"

"You seem to forget it was because of Shinra, Inc that you were able to fly in the first place."

"What!?"

Cloud leaned toward Barret and I. "I think we better take that plane before anybody else does."

Luckily the rest of our group noticed where we were headed and met up with us in the backyard. Unfortunately Palmer was already there.

"We'll be taking that Tiny Bronco," Cloud announced with conviction.

"Where have I seen you before?" Palmer snapped his fingers. "I know! The Shinra building! When the President was killed!"

Vincent drew two pistols and fired in Palmer's direction.

Palmer quickly ran off and was suddenly hit by a passing truck.

"Oops…" Vincent re-holstered his pistols.

We all jumped into the plane and took seats.

Cloud sat at the controls and was scratching his head as he studied the instrument panel.

I got up from my seat and leaned over his shoulder. "Everything alright?"

"Yeah, everything's under control."

I was hoping Cloud had received some kind of flight training at the SOLDIER academy. But he didn't look very sure of himself as he pushed buttons and flipped switches. When the engines started, he smiled. Then he moved the wheel.

The Tiny Bronco moved and was soon racing down a stretch of road. We were airborne seconds later. But we weren't climbing very high.

"Hang on everyone!" yelled Cloud as he turned the wheel.

The plane banked around and headed back for town.

"Cloud, you know how to fly this plane?" asked Vincent.

"No exactly."

There were some gasps and some grumblings.

I stared wide-eyed with my mouth open as the plane went lower and lower, swerving at the last second to avoid hitting the rocket.

On the ground, everyone scattered like ants. Some Shinra guards began to shoot at the plane.

We were only a few feet off the ground.

From the corner of my eye, I spotted Cid racing closer. He timed it perfectly and jumped through the door. More shots were fired.

"The tail's been hit!" yelled Cid. He rushed over to take the controls, pushing Cloud out of the seat. "This's gonna be a big splash! Hold on to your drawers, an' don't piss in 'em!!"

I stared out of the side window as we came closer and closer to the water until we finally hit with a huge splash. A few seconds later the plane coasted to a stop. Everyone sighed in relief.

"That's it," said Cid as he checked the controls. "She won't fly anymore."

Cloud stuck his head out of the open door. "We're floating. Can't we use this thing as a boat?"

Cid put his feet u pon the instrument panel and lit a cigarette. "Shit! Do whatever you want!"

Cloud walked over to sit near him. "What're you going to do now?"

"Dunno. I'm history with the Shinra."

"What about your wife? What about Shera?"

He blew smoke out of his nose. "Wife? Don't make me laugh! Just thinkin' 'bout marryin' that woman gives me the chills. What're you guys gonna do?"

"We're after a man named Sephiroth. We're looking to put Shinra out of commission, too."

Cid smoked his cigarette and looked at each of us individually. "Ah, what the hell!? Sign me up! Glad to be workin' wit' ya numbskulls!"

Cloud frowned at him. "Numbskulls?"

"Yeah. Anyone stupid enough to go up against Shinra nowadays has gotta be a numbskull! I like it!"

Cloud rolled his eyes as he took a seat near me and looked at everyone. "We need to pick up new materia and other weapons. The closest town is in Wutai."

Yuffie jumped up to her feet. "Hey, that's where I'm from. I can show you all the best shops."

"Fine. Head us toward Wutai, Cid." Cloud leaned back in his seat and I felt his hand touch mine.

When I turned to him he was looking at me. "Are you okay?"

"When the plane got hit, I thought we were done for."

"Yeah, I thought so, too."

I glanced passed Cloud and noticed Aeris watching us. Cloud must have noticed, too because he released my hand and closed his eyes. Aeris turned away and did the same. I studied her for a moment, taking in her features, so much more feminine than mine, I thought. Maybe Cloud liked her and didn't want to give her the impression that I was with him.

I wanted to hate her. But it was difficult to dislike Aeris. She was such a likeable person. I just hoped she didn't encourage Cloud because he was very impressionable lately.

_

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_

Uh oh, major cliffie in the present. That should tie you over for a few days.

_Please leave feedback. Thanks!_


	14. Chapter 14

_Author's Note – Thanks so much for all the fantastic reviews. I want to take a moment to plug a video created by a talented young girl. She based it on this fanfic. I am thrilled to death by that!! Check it out on YouTube. It's called "Through Hell For You" by Sannex._

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Chapter 14

**Somewhere in the Middle of Nowhere – the present**

The helicopter landed in the water with a huge splash and in a matter of seconds the cabin began to flood. I got up from the floor where I had fallen from the impact and desperately kicked at the door handle next to the seat.

It was every man for himself apparently because Rufus, Rude and Reno were each trying their own sides.

Finally getting my side open, I jumped into the water and swam as far away from the sinking chopper as I could get. It was going down incredibly fast. Unfortunately I noticed the bobbing heads of my foes.

A quick glance around revealed an island close enough to swim to. There wasn't anywhere else to go. And in the darkness I wasn't sure I wanted to remain in the water. Who knew what lurked around under the surface.

I swam in the direction of the island. But it seemed like I wasn't getting any closer. My arms were starting to get tired. No, I couldn't give up now. I had to keep going.

A quick glance behind me and I saw Shinra and the Turks swimming as well.

After what seemed like an eternity, I finally felt the ground beneath my feet. I stood up, only to be plummeted by a strong wave crashing behind me. I fell face first into the water, swallowing a huge gulp of the salty liquid.

A set of hands grabbed me by the arms and hoisted me out of the water. It was Rude. He was the only one big enough to carry me on his shoulder. When we were on dry land, he unceremoniously dropped me on the sand and collapsed beside me.

I coughed up saltwater and promptly passed out.

My eyes slowly crept open and a blazing light blinded me. I threw a hand over my forehead to shield the light as I sat up. As my eyesight adjusted, I found that I was sitting on a beach. It all came back to me in a flash…running away from Cloud, talking to him on the phone, being kidnapped by Shinra…the chopper crash.

I fell back down on the soft sand with a disgruntled groan. "I should have just stayed home." I slowly sat up and climbed to my feet. "What the hell was I thinking when I left yesterday?" When I turned around to face away from the beach, I spied a campfire. Sitting around it were my kidnappers, cheerfully talking to each other as if they were on a camping trip.

Reno glanced my way as he held a stick in the flames. "Well, look who decided to join the living."

I stalked my way toward their little party. On the way, I reached into my pocket for my phone. Water dripped from the cracked display screen. "Shit…" I tossed the worthless phone in the sand.

When I reached them, Rufus held a stick out to me. Something burnt to a crisp was skewered on the end of it. "Care for some gopher?"

I put my hands on my hips. "No, I don't want any gopher."

He shrugged and tore a huge piece out of it. "Tastes like chicken. Not bad, Rude."

"Thanks, boss."

I loudly cleared my throat. "Excuse me, but what're you going to do to get us out of here?"

Rufus stopped chewing and looked at me like he just realized we were stranded on an island. And then he took another bite of gopher.

"Hello? Are you listening to me?!"

"I heard you. No need to shout."

Reno snorted. "You'd think she'd be grateful after we made sure she was safe."

I turned to him. "Grateful?" It was hotter than hell in the sun and they were basking in front of a hot fire, cooking…no, burning gophers and acting as if nothing happened. "This is all your fault, Reno!"

"My fault? You're the one who shot up the chopper."

"Blame that on your boss. He forced me."

"You should have just sat quietly. But, noooo…you had to go and spoil our plans, just like you always do."

I clenched my fists and growled in a very unladylike manner. "That's it! Get up!" I took several steps back and held up my fists.

"What? You wanna fight me?" He started to laugh.

"Quit messing with her, Reno," Rude warned. "Just leave her alone."

"Get up, you annoying little weasel!" I challenged.

Reno laughed again. "I'm not fighting a girl."

"You fight like one, so it'll be an even match."

He stopped laughing and jumped up on his feet. He tossed his stick of gopher on the ground and moved toward me, the unevenness of the sand forcing him to stumble in an unmanly manner. When he got to within a couple feet of me, he held up his fists. "Alright, Lockhart, let's see what you got."

"Reno, leave her alone," Rufus called out.

Reno temporarily looked toward Shinra. "You heard what she said, she practically called me a…"

I didn't let him finish his sentence as I sent a foot across his face.

His legs wobbled and he landed on his butt. Shaking his head, he glared up at me with clenched teeth. "Son of a bitch!"

Before he could get up, I landed a solid kick to his chest, sending him back several feet. What a stress reliever...it felt great.

"Need any help, partner?" Rude asked.

"Fuck you!" Reno got up and charged me.

I jumped up and wrapped my legs around his neck, bringing him down.

As I squeezed my thighs tightly, he struggled with his arms flailing around helplessly. "Uuurrrgh…"

I leaned closer to his face. "Give up?"

Just then I heard the sound of a motor. A boat! I quickly released Reno and jumped away from him. As I ran toward the beach, I waved my arms over my head. Sure enough, a speedboat was heading to shore. In the distance I noticed two of the chopper's propellers were sticking out of the water. Either it was floating, or the chopper had landed on a sand bank.

I stopped waving my arms when I spotted spiky blonde hair sticking up from the boat cabin. It was Cloud. "Cloud!!" I waved my arms again and ran into the water.

Cloud drove the boat right up on shore. "Tifa!" He jumped over the side and caught me as I literally threw myself at him, wrapping all four of my limbs around his body.

I hugged him tightly and then kissed his entire face.

He released me and pulled me off of him, holding me at arm's length. "Are you all right?" He didn't wait for an answer as he stormed through the sand, stopping in front of Rufus, Reno and Rude.

"It's so kind of you to come rescue us, Cloud," said Shinra.

"Shut up! I'm not here to rescue you. I'm here for Tifa."

"I wouldn't have hurt her."

"Yeah, right."

"Still don't trust me much, do you, Cloud?"

"You haven't earned my trust, Shinra."

Shinra held his hands up in defense. "Understandable. Despite everything, I'd like to help."

"Help with what?"

"With whatever is going on between the two of you."

Cloud looked at him in confusion. "There's nothing going on."

I grabbed Cloud's arm. "Cloud, let's just go…"

He held a hand up to silence me. "Hang on a second, Tifa." He walked over to stand in front of Shinra. "What do you think is going on?"

"Personal problems in the…romance department."

"And how is that any of your business?"

"It's not at all."

"Then shut the fuck up." Cloud grabbed me by the wrist and dragged me away.

His grip was so tight, I let out a strangled cry.

And then a shot was fired. The sand next to my feet flew up in the air.

We stopped in our tracks and slowly turned around.

Shinra held his pistol aimed in our direction. "Sorry, Cloud, but we'll be taking that boat."

Cloud released my wrist and drew his Apocalypse sword from the harness strapped to his back. At the same time, Reno and Rude drew their own weapons…those dreaded steel rods that shot electrical currents, incapacitating everything and anything.

I stepped out from behind Cloud and held up my fists.

"Nothing good can come out of this, Cloud," Shinra announced. "Drop your weapon."

"Make me!"

I didn't have the good sense to keep quiet. "Need another kick in the face, Reno?"

The red-headed Turk aimed his baton and fired at us.

Cloud and I ducked at the last second. The blast flew over our heads and struck the boat, causing it to burst into flames.

"Reno, you idiot!" yelled the usually cool Shinra.

"Oops…" was all he could say.

Cloud lowered his sword. "Brilliant move, asshole! You just destroyed the only means out of here!"

"Bite me!" Reno snapped.

"Everyone keep quiet!" yelled Shinra. "Arguing isn't going to help our situation."

"Look who's talking. You did a good job putting us here in the first place," I snapped back at him.

Shinra holstered his pistol and walked forward, his hands raised. "Let's just relax and talk this through."

Cloud made no move to put his sword away.

I turned to him. "Cloud, your phone!"

He turned to me with a sorrowful look in his eyes. "The battery died on the way here."

Shinra looked up and around. "Where are we anyway? What island is this?"

"I was headed north to Icicle Area. If I hadn't spotted the chopper blades sticking out of the water, I would have gone right passed this island."

"Alright, so we're between the Midgar and Icicle Areas. What's on this island?"

"Your guess is as good as mine. We've never set foot here before."

"All that time chasing after Sephiroth and you never came this way?" Reno asked skeptically.

Cloud turned to Reno. "How'd you like me to scrape the bottom of my boot across your face?"

Rude grabbed Reno by the arm and pulled him away. "Keep your trap shut, Reno. You're not helping us here."

"I say we start walking," suggested Shinra. "Perhaps we'll find something that will help us get off this island."

I grabbed Cloud's arm and pulled him away. "Cloud, I don't trust him."

"Yeah, I don't either." He turned back to the others. "Fine, we'll walk, but not with you."

Shinra raised his eyebrows. "As you wish."

Cloud motioned for me to start walking. He fell in step beside me and then turned around to walk backwards, making sure Shinra and the Turks weren't going to try anything.

When they were out of sight, I turned to Cloud. "We need to find water, Cloud."

"I know. We'll have to go in."

I stared at the dense jungle making up the interior of the island. Never having been on this island, I had no idea what creatures lurked around. But this wasn't the first time Cloud and I faced danger. "Okay. Let's do it."

We started walking away from the beach and soon entered the jungle.

**

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WUTAI – the past

When we reached the beach on the island of Wutai, Yuffie was the first one out of the Tiny Bronco. She nearly knocked Barret off his feet trying to get out.

"What the…?!" Barret yelled. "Dammit, Yuffie!"

We all got out of the Tiny Bronco and followed Yuffie along a path up a hill.

"I know this area pretty well," she said. "It gets pretty tough through here."

Barret leaned closer to me. "Why do I suddenly not trust the little brat?"

And before I could provide my conjecture on the situation, two Shinra guards jumped out from behind some rocks, their rifles drawn and aimed at us.

"What the hell's goin' on!?" yelled Cid.

Cloud glared at Yuffie. "You're behind this?"

Yuffie shook her head. "I swear, I have nothing to do with this one!"

Barret was spitting mad. "Whaddaya mean 'this one'!? 'This one'! So you _were_ plannin' somethin'!!"

"No, umm, uh…"

The two Shinra guards exchanged glances.

"What should we do?" asked one of them.

"Grab them and ask questions later!"

We all prepared for battle. The two guards were difficult to beat. Cloud kept having to block the rifle shots with his buster sword so they wouldn't hit any of us. Cait Sith's moogle pounced on one while Cid and Vincent handled the other. When the guards were finally down, the battle was over.

Cloud glanced down at his wrist guards. "Hey! My materia's gone!"

Cid glanced around. "Where the hell's that damned kid?"

Barret slammed his fist into a boulder. "That fuckin' kid!! She was after our materia from the start!!"

I checked the ground for tracks. There were small footprints leading to a rope bridge. "She went that way!"

Our group ran along the path and crossed two other bridges before the path sloped downward. Up ahead was a small town.

We split up into four groups of two. Vincent and Cid, Cait Sith and Barret, Aeris and Red…and Cloud and I. Cloud led the way to one of the houses.

I raised my eyebrows as I watched him pick the lock with a pocketknife. "Was lockpicking one of the courses they taught at the academy?" I asked when he pushed the door open.

He tossed a smile at me over his shoulder before stepping inside the house.

After a thorough search, we found someone sleeping in one of the bedrooms.

Cloud tactlessly nudged the man with his toe. "Hey you! Wake up!" Forget the fact that we had broken into his house.

The man woke up with a start and stared at us. "What do you want?"

"Looking for someone named Yuffie."

"Never heard of her."

Cloud wasn't convinced. "Yeah, right."

"What're you doing in my house? I said I didn't know her! There isn't anyone named Yuffie here in Wutai!"

This was frustrating.

The man stood up, eying us suspiciously. "I've been seeing a lot of Shinra guards around here lately. You wouldn't have anything to do with that would you?"

"Absolutely nothing."

"I don't care who you are, but if you're in trouble with the Shinra, I'm going to have to ask you to leave. I don't want the Shinra hanging around here looking over my shoulder."

Just then Yuffie jumped out from behind a screen. "What's with you, you coward!"

"Yuffie!" the man yelled in surprise.

"You scared of the Shinra? Then why don't you fall to your knees and obey them, just like everyone else in this world!" She pointed to me and Cloud. "These guys are the ones who are really fighting the Shinra!"

"Shut up! What would you know about this?"

"You get beaten once and you call it quits? What happened to the mighty Wutai I used to know?"

"Don't talk to me like that! You should be ashamed of yourself!"

Cloud and I glanced back and forth between the two as they continued to argue.

"You can't dictate what I should do!" yelled Yuffie.

"You're a miserable fighter!"

"You're a sad excuse for a father!!" Yuffie ran off, her father chasing after her.

Cloud glanced at me, his eyebrows raised. "Well, that was pleasant."

We walked out of the house and entered a Weapon and Materia Shop to purchase a few items, but the shop owners told us they were all out of everything. That seemed a bit strange.

As we continued our search, Cloud grabbed my arm to stop me. When he pointed to a large jar sitting near the door of a pub, I noticed it was wobbling a little. He put a finger to his lips, telling me to keep quiet as we snuck up to the jar.

Cloud kicked it several times and when Yuffie jumped out, he grabbed her arm. "You can't get away, Yuffie."

"Okay, okay. I was wrong. You win. I'll give you back your materia."

Cloud released her arm and we followed her back to her house.

"Before I was born," she began with tears in her eyes, "Wutai was a lot more crowded and more important. You see what it looks like now? Just a resort town. After we lost the war, we got peace, but with that, we lost something else. Now look at Wutai. That's why…if I had lots of materia I could…"

"Listen, Yuffie, I don't care about the history of Wutai or your feelings. You've got our materia and I want it back…now! Give it back and we'll forget you ever took it."

I thought Cloud was being a bit cold all of a sudden and I smacked his arm. "Cloud…"

"Fine." Yuffie sniffed back her tears. "That switch…the lever on the left. The materia's in there."

Cloud walked over to the levers and pulled the one on the left. Just then a cage dropped around both of us.

Yuffie's expression suddenly turned to pure delight. "Haha! You should've listened! The Materia's mine!" She ran off.

Cloud gave me a disgruntled look. "And you were starting to feel sorry for her?"

I was fuming. "I'm gonna kick her little behind."

He drew his buster sword and slid it through the bars. It was just long enough to reach the levers. After trying various combinations, the cage finally lifted back up.

Just as we rushed out of the pagoda, we saw Yuffie sneaking through a door beneath a platform on the other side of the courtyard. We went after her.

When we rushed through the same door, we discovered someone we hadn't expected to see in a million years.

"Corneo!" Cloud yelled out.

Yuffie struggled as the bulky man threw her over his shoulder. "Let go! I said let GO! Hey! Who do you think you…Ow! What're you doin'...? Jerk!"

Corneo carried Yuffie up a flight of stairs at the other end of the room. When Cloud and I followed the same path, we found the door at the top locked. We retraced our steps and went back out the original door.

Outside we saw Corneo running toward the path leading out of town. He had handed Yuffie off to one of his men. Another man was holding a blonde-haired woman. It was the Turk, Elena.

"If she's around, then the others have to be around here, too," Cloud assumed.

Just as he finished the statement, Reno and Rude bolted out of the pub.

Reno pointed to Corneo and his men. "Hey, that asshole took Elena." He pulled out a long metal rod. "Let's go Rude. We'll give them a taste of what the Turks can do." Then he froze in his tracks when he came face to face with me and Cloud. "Ah, shit."

Cloud wasn't flustered by the appearance of the Turks. "Corneo took Yuffie and without her there's no way we'll get our materia back."

"We have no intention of joining you. But for now, we'll agree not to bother each other. That's all."

"Fine. We don't intend to cooperate with you Turks either."

Reno turned to his partner, Rude. "Nice attitude, huh?"

Cloud, Reno, Rude and I headed in the direction Corneo and his men had gone. At the end of the street was a path leading to the mountains. We finally came across Corneo in front of a giant face carved into the mountainside. Yuffie and Elena were tied to each of the statue's eyes.

Reno was about to run forward, but Cloud grabbed him and pulled him back. "What?!"

"Just wait a minute, will ya?"

The four of us crouched down nearby.

"Let…me…go!" yelled Yuffie.

Corneo was wringing his hands together. "Hmm! Delicious…scrumptious! I think I've just found a new hobby! Which shall it be? Hmm. Should I go…with her?"

"Hey!" yelled Elena. "I'm one of the Turks! Don't think you can get away with this!?"

"Or…maybe…her?"

Yuffie paled. "Oh Gawd! If I knew this was gonna happen, I would've taken my rope lessons more seriously!!"

"Hmm! I've made my choice! My companion for the night will be…" He pointed to Yuffie. "The cheerful one!"

"Grossness! Don't mess with me, old man! You don't even have any Materia!"

"Oooh! And she's saucy, too! Wheee! Wheee!"

The rest of our group arrived and all of us, including Reno and Rude, jumped out from behind the rocks.

"All right, Corneo, that's it!"

Corneo whirled around to face Cloud. "Heehee…long time no see."

Cid twirled his harpoon above his head. "Maybe God'd forgive an ugly prick like you, but I won't!"

Barret had to put in his two cents. "You damn Midgar hyena!"

Corneo screwed his eyes. "Be quiet! None of you know how much I've suffered since then. It's a long story, but…"

Cid stepped forward. "I don't really give a fuck! You're gonna let the two girls go or else I'm gonna break your arm!"

Corneo grinned. "You killed my little Aps back at Wall Market? I'm gonna make you play with my new pet, so you will no longer get in the way of my search for a bride! Rapps!"

Just then a large, winged Dragon flew out of a cave and attacked us. Aeris sent it a spell that froze the monster. Then we all pounced on it with our own weapons.

After it was defeated, Cloud turned to Corneo.

"Wait…Just wait a second!" Corneo pleaded.

"Shut up!"

"Just listen to me a second. Why do you think a bad guy like me would swallow his pride and plead for his life?"

Cloud frowned, obviously remembering the last time Corneo tricked us with a question. "Because he thinks he's going to win…"

Corneo pulled something out of his pocket. "Right!" He activated a switch.

Yuffie and Elena were suddenly turned upside down. They both screamed in fear.

"If I push this button, they'll fall upside down and we'll have squashed tomatoes!"

"Damn!" Then he quickly glanced around.

I did the same and noticed Reno and Rude had vacated the scene.

Corneo laughed. "I guess I'm the one laughing last!"

"No, that would be us." Reno appeared from out of a cave next to Corneo. "You knew this was gonna happen ever since you leaked that secret. We're going to take care of you personally."

Corneo held up the control unit. "Then they're all goin' with me!"

Rude appeared from another cave and pushed Corneo off the side of the ledge.

"Good timing, Rude," said Reno.

Seeing Corneo was hanging on the side of the ledge, Reno walked up and stepped on his fingers. "All right, Corneo. This'll be over quick, so listen up. Why do you think we went to all the trouble of teaming up with these guys to get you? One, because we were ready to die. Two, because we were sure of victory, or three, because we were clueless."

Corneo hastened to respond. "Two…Number two?"

"Wrong." Reno stepped harder on Corneo's fingers.

"No! Wait, stop...!" He lost his grip on the ledge and fell.

Reno looked over the side. "The correct answer was…"

"Because it's our job," Rude finished.

Reno's phone rang. He answered. "Yeah, this is Reno. Yes…Yes…I'll get right on it."

Rude managed to untie Yuffie and Elena from the statue's face.

"Was that the company?" Elena asked Reno.

"Yeah, they want us to find Cloud."

Cloud stiffened.

"Relax, man. Today we're off duty." He motioned to Rude and Elena. The three of them leave.

"That was damned peculiar," Cid noted.

"Yeah, no kidding." Cloud turned to Yuffie and cleared his throat. "Our materia?"

Yuffie laughed nervously. "Oh yeah, I almost forgot."

We all followed Yuffie back to her house where she uncovered our materia.

"So anyway," she said after returning the materia to each of us. "That sure was close, huh? I mean, normally I would kick their butts…Boom…Bang!! That Corneo guy's a real pain. I'd rather deal with my dad than deal with that guy. Oh, by the way, some of those guys from the Turks are good, huh? At least, after all that, we got the materia back. Now come on everybody, let's continue our journey."

Cloud looked at everyone else in the room. "I'm pretty sure I speak for all of us when I say, we don't trust you."

"Oh, come on, people. I was just kidding. I was going to give it back. Honest!"

"Let's give her one more chance, Cloud," said Aeris.

Cloud looked at Aeris for a moment, then turned back to Yuffie. "You're lucky you have an advocate. Let's go talk to your father."

"What for?"

"There might be more he hasn't told us about the presence of Shinra personnel here."

Yuffie whined as we all left the house.

Again Cloud told everyone but me to wait outside while we entered a pagoda with Yuffie.

A small woman greeted us. "Oh, Miss Yuffie! Will you be climbing the pagoda today?"

"Yeah, that's it."

"Then I, Sacred Gorky, will be your opponent on the first floor!"

Yuffie was forced to fight one on one with Gorky. She easily defeated the small woman.

The three of us climbed the stairway.

On the second floor we were greeted by a child. "Hmm, I thought you were just a wild girl, but you handled Gorky. But we'll see how you do on next one."

Yuffie glanced around "Who's next?"

"Are you blind?" said the child who didn't look a day over six. "I'm right here!"

"What? I gotta fight a punk?"

"Heh! Punk. I'm more of an adult than some bimbo girl!"

"Wha…what did you say!?"

"About the only thing you do really good is breathe! Sure you're brave enough to fight?"

Yuffie kicked her ass. I wasn't sure if I wanted to applaud her or fear her.

We climbed the stairs.

On the third floor we were greeted by a little man. "Hm…so you beat both Gorky and Shake. It's been awhile since I've felt pain."

Yuffie held up her shuriken. "Stop your yappin' and let's go!" She started fighting the little man.

I leaned toward Cloud as we watched. "What the hell is going on here?"

Cloud shrugged. "Looks like she has to fight somebody on each floor to go higher."

"Just to see her father? Isn't that a bit crude and barbaric?"

Yuffie defeated the little man before Cloud could respond. We followed her up to the next floor.

There we were met by yet another little man. "I can't believe you beat Chekhov. But this is as far as you go, little girl. No one has ever defeated me. You still want to try?"

Yuffie rolled her eyes. "Just come on!" She used mostly materia spells in this battle and defeated her opponent skillfully.

On to the next floor. Finally, there was Yuffie's father, the man whose house we broke into earlier.

"I'm glad you made it this far, Yuffie."

Yuffie stepped forward. "I have to fight you now?"

"Hold nothing back. Come as if you're trying to kill me! If you don't…then I'll have to kill you!"

I couldn't keep quiet any longer. "Oh, come on now."

Godo slipped on a mask with three sides. As Yuffie battled her father, each time she demolished a side of the mask, the mask would turn to another side. The battle went on for almost a half hour.

Cloud and I became bored after awhile and started telling each other jokes.

Finally Yuffie defeated Godo and both of them ended up lying flat on their backs, completely out of breath. Suddenly they started laughing. It was the strangest father-daughter relationship I had ever seen in my life.

Awhile later, after Yuffie and Godo collected themselves, Godo held something out on his palm. A red materia. "It's time I give this to you, Yuffie. This is Leviathan materia. Take it."

Cloud stepped forward and grabbed it before Yuffie could get her hands on it. "I'll take that, thank you."

The little man on the floor defeated by Yuffie blanched. "Lord Godo. The Leviathan materia should only be given to the person who conquers and takes over this Pagoda. That is our custom."

Yuffie groaned. "Custom, custom, custom. I'm so sick of hearing that! It's so stupid! You have all this power and you're satisfied being cooped up in this tower?"

"Yuffie!" scolded Godo.

"You too, dad! Just because you lost the war! And turning Wutai into a place like this! A cheesy resort peddling to tourists. How dare you!?"

Godo frowned and looked down. "Forgive me. It's all my fault."

"What are you saying, Lord Godo?" asked Gorky.

"Losing the war...turning Wutai into this. It was all my fault..."

Chekhov stepped forward. "Lord Godo!"

"Silence!" Godo turned to Yuffie. "Yuffie, I am the same now as I was before when I wanted the war. But after I lost the war, I began to think. Is strength only for defeating the enemy? Or just something to showoff to others? Might begets might. That's the same way as the Shinra."

"I don't understand."

"I knew you were looking for materia for the good of Wutai. But the reason I hide my strength now is also for the good of Wutai. And now I realize both are necessary. Strength without determination means nothing. And determination without strength is equally useless!" He suddenly turned to me and Cloud. "You there! Please take Yuffie with you! I perceive that you all have both determination and strength!"

Cloud shrugged. "A wealth of it…"

"Go, Yuffie! For the sake of strengthening Wutai! Survive till the end!"

"You bet!" Yuffie didn't wait for us. She charged down the stairs as if she was headed for battle outside of the pagoda.

I gave Cloud a look. "I'm glad I'm not in her shoes."

He nodded. "Me, too."

We nodded a farewell to Godo and the others and quickly headed down to make sure Yuffie didn't destroy our only means of transportation with her sudden enthusiasm.

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Please leave feedback. Thanks!

_And don't forget to check out Sannex's video on YouTube._


	15. Chapter 15

_Author's Note – I've added some new material to the Gold Saucer scene in this chapter. So if you've been skipping over the "past", you might want to read this chapter in its entirety so you don't miss out on an important detail in Cloud and Tifa's past. Other than that it's the boring Cait Sith scene, which I changed around a bit to shorten it. He wasn't one of my favorite characters in the game._

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Chapter 15

**Somewhere in the Middle of Nowhere – the present**

As Cloud and I trekked through the dense rainforest, it suddenly occurred to me that we never even spoke about what happened.

Just then, as if he had been reading my mind, Cloud asked the inevitable question. "Why'd you leave, Tifa?"

I shrugged. "You know what I want and you choose to ignore it. I'm just sick of all your bullshit."

He tossed a frown in my direction. "You didn't even give me a chance to explain."

"What's to explain, Cloud?" I shrugged again. "Besides, you don't like to talk to me anymore."

He paused a moment to unsheathe his sword and hack at a section of bushes we couldn't get through. "I already told you…" He grunted as he hacked at some branches. "…we were supposed to talk at the villa."

"Well, it looks like we'll have plenty of time to talk now."

Cloud stopped hacking and turned to me. He started to say something, but then averted his eyes.

What was he so afraid to tell me? I was really starting to get scared. Did he have some terminal disease? Worse than Geostigma?

"Just before my cellphone died in Junon, you were about to say something to me. What was it?"

"Uhh…" He scratched the back of his head like he always did when he was nervous. "I need to get you a longer lasting battery for your phone?"

I folded my arms across my chest, not in the least bit amused.

"Tifa, I don't know where to start," he finally said with a frustrated sigh.

I decided to abandon my anger, afraid that if I showed it too much, he might change his mind and clam up entirely. "Cloud…we never used to have a problem talking to each other. You used to tell me everything."

He nodded. "I know." After a silent moment, he crouched to rest and wipe the sweat from his forehead. Another moment later he finally looked back at me. "I lied to you."

A chill suddenly shot up my spine. I wasn't sure why. When he didn't elaborate, I asked, "About what?"

"Two years ago…you asked me if there was anything going on between me and Aeris. I said there wasn't."

My breath caught in my throat and I felt as if my heart was being squeezed through a meat grinder. Something did happen between them. This is what he was going to tell me. "Go on," I prompted slowly.

"Before you start drawing conclusions, I just wanna say that nothing happened. I swear it. But… she wanted to get closer to me. I'm pretty sure it was because I reminded her of Zack."

"Why didn't you tell me?"

"I was afraid you'd confront her. But I should have told you the truth back then. I'm sorry."

It wasn't as bad as I thought, but Cloud seemed to be avoiding the topic of his own feelings about Aeris. "How long did she have feelings for you?"

He shrugged. "I dunno. Maybe it started the first time I met her. When I fell through the roof in her church. But I wasn't sure until the date at the Gold Saucer. She said she wanted to get to know me…the real me. I guess she knew I wasn't really myself. In the end, before she died, she told me I'd figure it all out." He stood up and resumed hacking at a thick branch with his sword.

I swallowed the lump in my throat, desperately needing to know how he felt about her. "Were you…in love with her?"

Cloud stopped and met my eyes. "No, Tifa. I wasn't. But…I keep thinking that if…maybe if I had been, she'd still be alive."

For the longest time I thought Cloud had been in love with Aeris and in actuality, it had been the other way around. Cloud bore the guilt of her death because he was convinced he could have prevented it if he had been in control of his own faculties.

When he pushed the broken branch aside, I followed him through. "Why do you think things would have been different if she thought you loved her?"

"Maybe she wouldn't have gone off after Sephiroth on her own."

"You have to stop thinking her death was your fault, Cloud."

"Why did she do it? Why did she go off on her own like that?"

I sighed heavily. It didn't matter how much time passed. Cloud would never get over the guilt. "What it is you want me to say, Cloud?"

"I've been carrying this guilt with me for so long, I don't know how to get passed it."

"Well, you need to get over it and move on."

"How?"

I stopped and folded my arms across my chest. "You know what I think? I think you _were_ in love with her and you want me to tell you that it's okay."

Cloud also stopped when he saw I wasn't moving. "No…that's not it."

"Then what is it?"

He ran his fingers through his sweat-dampened hair in frustration. "I shouldn't have told you."

"Why _did_ you tell me, Cloud?"

"I said I felt guilty and I needed to get it off my chest."

I wanted to trust him. I didn't want a reason not to. Was he really in love with her and making me believe he wasn't? "Apparently even after Aeris died, you weren't feeling so guilty about boinking me every which way." I couldn't control the angry tone in my voice. But I also hadn't meant to voice my thoughts outloud.

He frowned and looked away. "Should never have happened," he mumbled under his breath.

"What? Are you saying you regret what we did? You came to me, remember? You were the one that initiated it that first time."

"No…"

"No?"

"No, I mean…I don't regret it."

I looked down and shook my head, not wanting him to see the tears that were suddenly brimming in my eyes. I didn't know what to believe anymore.

"Tifa…" His voice softened.

"It doesn't matter." I wiped at my eyes. "It's obvious you don't want to be with me."

He started walking toward me. "That's not true."

I moved away from him and walked ahead. "Bullshit, Cloud. You haven't even bothered to…to kiss me or anything in the last two years, so what am I supposed to believe?"

"I didn't think you wanted me to."

I stopped again and stared at him with my jaw hanging open. "Oh, come on!. Were we not living under the same roof all this time? How could you think that?"

"I told you before, I'm not good at picking up on stuff like that. I never had a girlfriend. I don't know what's expected of me!"

He was right. He really didn't have the experience a normal person would have growing up from an adolescent to a man. I had expected him to simply pick up on my feelings. But maybe I had been exhibiting signs that were more like resentment and frustration around him. It was my fault. I should have told him how I felt. I decided to cut him some slack. "You're right. I shouldn't come down on you for that. I'm sorry."

Cloud sighed, looking chastised. "No…you're not supposed to be apologizing. I am. I'm sorry for taking advantage of you while we were chasing after Sephiroth. I was confused about who I was and you were the only real thing I had. I'll say it again, I don't regret it…but it was wrong of me."

"I could have stopped it. I'm just as much to blame."

"No, Tifa, you loved me. I didn't do it because of how I felt about you, I did it because of how it made _me_ feel. I was selfish. It felt good. It made me feel good."

"You think I didn't know that, Cloud? I knew and I still didn't stop you."

"Well, why didn't you?"

"You already said it. I loved you. There wasn't anything I wouldn't have done for you." I could barely see him through the tears blurring my eyes.

"You've always been the most important person in my life, Tifa. More than any of the others." He took several steps toward me and this time I didn't move away. "No one compares to you. Yesterday, today or fifty years from now."

I held my breath as Cloud came up to me and placed his hands on my shoulders.

The sound of thunder rumbled above and in the next second a torrential rain poured down on us.

Cloud pulled me beneath a canopy of leaves and wrapped his arms around me. Despite the smoldering humidity, I couldn't stop shivering.

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WEAPON SELLER'S HUT – the past

Riding around on the Tiny Bronco was making Yuffie sick so we parked on a beach. Nearby was a small hut.

Cloud started walking toward it. "I'm gonna go check it out."

I jogged toward him. "I'll come with you, Cloud."

As we got closer we saw a sign revealing the hut to be a weapon shop.

A man greeted us as we walked in. "Huh? Oh another customer. You sure picked an out of the way place but…if it's the keystone you're looking for, you're too late. Don't have it."

Cloud gave him a curious look. "Keystone?"

The man looked at both of us in confusion. "Oh, you didn't come here for that? Well, the keystone is the key that unlocks the gate to a very old temple somewhere. You're not going to believe your ears, but I heard it was the Temple of the Ancients!" He laughed. "Don't take it seriously. It's just a legend."

Cloud followed him further into the shop. "So this keystone, you said you don't have any longer?"

"Nope. Sold it to Dio. You know Dio, right? Owns the Gold Saucer."

"Yeah, unfortunately I do know him." He turned toward the door, motioning me to follow. "Thanks."

We walked out and headed back to the Tiny Bronco where the rest of the group was sitting around.

"Anything interesting?" asked Cait Sith.

"Just a weapon shop." Cloud glanced toward Aeris. "He mentioned a keystone that unlocks the gate to the Temple of the Ancients."

Her eyes widened. "Where is it?"

"Our bizarre, perverted friend Dio has it."

Cid groaned as he got to his feet. "Looks like we're headed for the Saucer."

Yuffie clasped a hand over her mouth. "Ugh, no…I can't get back in that thing yet."

"Fine," said Cloud without any congeniality. "We'll just leave you here."

Everyone started climbing into the Tiny Bronco.

"Wait for me!" yelled Yuffie as she finally jumped aboard.

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GOLD SAUCER – the past

At the Gold Saucer, we split up into groups to search for the keystone. Cloud, Barret and I went to the Battle Square. The last time we were there, we noticed Dio had a showroom of artifacts. It was a good chance the keystone might be there on display.

Cloud pointed to a round glass ball on a pedestal. It almost looked like materia. "Wonder if that's it."

The three of us surrounded the pedestal, trying to figure out how to take the item on it without setting off an alarm.

"Heh, heh, heh. Long time no see, boy."

We turned to find Dio walking into the showroom, in his usual red Speedos. Somebody needed to tell this guy it wasn't a good look for him.

He motioned to the item we had been looking at. "You like that, huh? I got it from a guy in a little shack south of here, past the river. If you want to know about it, go there and talk to him."

"Mind if we borrow it?" Cloud casually asked. But he probably already knew the answer.

"Heh, heh, heh. Sorry, but it's not for rent." He rubbed his chin, giving Cloud a once over. "Hmm. Since you've been good to me in the past, I _can_ let you have it on one condition."

Cloud frowned. "What kind of condition?"

"Entertain me!"

Cloud's face paled. I had a feeling he was getting the wrong idea of what Dio wanted from him.

"It's not anything difficult," Dio went on. "This is the Battle Arena. Show me your fighting skills. Just you, boy. I'm expecting a good fight."

I squeezed Cloud's arm. "Be careful."

While Barret and I found seats, Cloud entered the Battle Arena. I wasn't familiar with the creatures that emerged from the opposite door and had no idea what they were capable of. As the battle began, I began to wonder what was wrong with Cloud. He was only making a half-hearted effort to defeat them. I knew he could do better.

After a few minutes, Cloud dropped to one knee in defeat.

Barret was hollering madly beside me. "What the fuck?!"

We left the arena to meet Cloud on the other side.

Dio was already there. "That's the best you could do?"

Cloud shrugged.

"Well, a promise is a promise. Go ahead and take it."

Cloud went into the showroom and returned with the keystone in his hand.

Dio laughed. "Well then, we shall meet again." He walked away.

Barret pushed Cloud's shoulder. "Damn, man. Was the hell's wrong wit' you? Marlene could have done a better job fighting those things."

"I didn't want Dio to know what I'm really capable of."

"Why not?" I asked.

"Draws less attention to me. The guy freaks me out…the way he looks at me."

We left the Battle Arena and met the others at the Ropeway Station.

When we tried to board the tram, a man in a Gold Saucer uniform stepped forward. "Sorry folks, but the tram is out of order right now. I'm afraid you won't be able to leave until it's fully repaired."

"We can stay at the hotel," suggested Cait Sith. "They know me here."

We went into the Ghost Square chute and on the other side was a spooky looking hotel building.

In the lobby, after Cait Sith checked us in, he turned to Cloud. "Since we don't usually get the chance to be together like this, maybe we should talk about what's happened so far. Cloud, how about it? I don't really know what's going on because I wasn't here from the beginning."

"Yeah, I'm all for it!" Cid agreed.

Vincent nodded. "Good idea."

Barret shook his head. "I been here since the beginnin', an' I still don't know what the hell's goin' on. Cloud, the hell's goin' on?"

Cloud sighed. "I'm tired..."

Cid sat down in one of the chairs scattered around the lobby. "All we have to do now is sleep! You're still young! What're you complaining about?"

Cloud crossed his arms. "We're going after Sephiroth. He's in search of the Promised Land, which is a land full of Mako energy...or at least that's what the Shinra believe. I don't know if it really exists."

"The Cetra return to the Promised Land," said Aeris. "A land that promises boundless happiness."

"Cetra, that some kinda disease?" Cid asked ignorantly.

"That's what the Ancients call themselves. The Promised Land isn't a place you can see. You search and travel until you feel it."

Cloud turned to Aeris. "Can you feel it?"

"I think so."

I broke the uncomfortable spell as they looked at each other. "So Sephiroth is traveling the world because he's searching for the Promised Land? Is that it?"

"That and the Black Materia," Aeris replied. "It's the most powerful materia ever."

Barret walked toward the stairs. "That's it then. I'm going to bed. Somebody wake up Cid."

"Hey, Aeris, wanna check out the Chocobo races?" Yuffie asked excitedly.

"Sure." Aeris followed Yuffie out of the hotel.

Vincent poked Cid in the ribs, making the pilot jump. They followed Barret up the stairs while Red went with Aeris and Yuffie.

That left Cloud, Cait Sith and I alone in the lobby.

"I think I'll go chat with some old friends," said Cait Sith before his moogle hopped out of the hotel.

I turned to Cloud and took his hand. "Come on. Since Aeris and Yuffie are busy, you can come back to our room so I can take care of those scratches on your face from Battle Square."

He followed me without hesitating.

Upstairs, in the room reserved for me, Yuffie and Aeris, I sat Cloud on the bed while I gathered some things from the bathroom. Fortunately he hadn't left when I walked back into the bedroom.

As I cleaned his face with a damp cloth, his eyes were on me. I smiled. "Stop staring at me like that."

Cloud pushed my hand away and put his arms around, dragging me down to straddle his lap. "I need you." He coaxed me out of my tank top and buried his face in my cleavage.

I made no effort to discourage him as he lifted me up and tossed me on the bed.

Fifteen minutes later, we were adjusting our clothes.

The door suddenly opened and Aeris walked in.

She was surprised to see Cloud and I noticed her eyes were focused on his hand as he zipped his slacks. "Oh…I didn't know you would be in here, Cloud."

I pulled my suspender straps up over my shoulders and was about to say something but Cloud beat me to it.

"We were just talking," he said casually, as if just minutes ago he hadn't been making love to me.

"Well, actually, I need to talk to you about something." She nodded toward the door.

"Okay." Cloud followed her out and closed the door almost all the way.

I could hear their voices, but couldn't hear what they were saying.

Until Cloud spoke louder. "I know what it is, I'm not an idiot."

I edged closer to the door as I heard Aeris giggling. Just as I reached the door, Cloud poked his head inside.

"I'll be right back." He disappeared again and closed the door this time.

I immediately opened the door and snuck a peak out in the hallway. Cloud and Aeris were just rounding the corner and she was holding his hand with both of hers.

Her giggling was starting to get on my nerves. "I can't believe we're finally going on our date," she said as they disappeared.

My jaw dropped and I huffed angrily. I had a good mind to follow them and see where they were going. But I didn't want Cloud to think I was spying on him. So I went back to the bed we had occupied minutes ago and sat down on the edge of it. I'd just wait. He said he'd be right back.

I waited…

…and waited…

…and waited…

An hour passed when the door opened. I jumped up, thinking it was Cloud. But it was only Yuffie.

"Didn't win a darn thing. Stupid chocobos." She jumped on one of the beds and promptly fell asleep.

I clenched my fists in anger. Where the hell was Cloud? I headed for the door and walked out of the room.

Down the hall was the room the guys were sharing. I tried the doorknob and it opened. Inside the room, Cid was lying sprawled on his back on one of the beds, snoring loudly. Red was curled up asleep on a sofa. Barret was snoring loudly from another bed. The only one not asleep was Vincent.

He turned from the window he had been staring out of. "Everything alright, Tifa?"

With a heavy sigh, I plopped down on the side of the only vacant bed. "It's just perfect." I had said it with a bit too much sarcasm.

Vincent remained silent after that.

More time passed. Another fifteen minutes.

The door opened and Cloud walked in. He stopped in his tracks when he saw me sitting on the bed. "Tifa…I…I was just looking for you."

Sure he was.

A frown formed on his face. "What're you doing in here?"

I was so pissed at him, I couldn't think straight. "Waiting for you."

"Is something wrong?"

I stared into his eyes. He seriously had no idea why I was suddenly angry with him. "No, Cloud. How was your date with Aeris?"

Then I saw the realization hit him. He shrugged indifferently. "It was okay."

I wanted to ask him if he kissed her…if he made love to her. But most of all I wanted to slap his face. I was about to walk out before I did something I'd regret.

"Tifa, we've got a problem. Cait Sith stole the keystone from me and gave it to Tseng."

I quickly forgot the reason I was mad as I realized what this all meant. "Oh, no."

"Vincent, wake up the others and meet us in the other room." Cloud took my hand and led me out.

A few minutes later we were all assembled in the room I was to share with Aeris and Yuffie.

Cait Sith was sitting on his moogle's shoulder in the corner, being guarded by Aeris and Yuffie. "I was hired by the Shinra," Cait Sith confessed.

Aeris clenched her fists. "We trusted you!"

"I couldn't help it. How about we continue like nothing ever happened?"

Cloud shook his head in anger. "No way, stupid cat!"

"Then, what are you going to do? Kill me? You'd just be wasting your time. This body's just a toy anyway. My real body's at Shinra Headquarters in Midgar. I'm controlling this toy cat and moogle from there."

"Who are you then?" yelled Aeris.

"Whoa, I can't tell you my name."

Cloud ran a hand over his face in frustration. "We're not getting anywhere."

"See? I told you! Talking won't do any good, so can't we just continue our journey?"

He whirled back around to face Cait Sith. "You think I'm joking!?"

"Alright, yes, I am a Shinra employee. But I'm not exactly an enemy."

Cid snorted in disgust. "Let's just waste the cat and move on."

"Something bothers me," Cait Sith went on. "I think it's your way of life. You don't get paid. You don't get praised. Yet, you still risk your lives and continue on your journey. Seeing that makes me...It just makes me think about my life. I don't think I'd feel too good if things ended the way they are now."

"And so on and so on..." Aeris ridiculed.

Cloud shook his head again. "He'll never tell the truth. Once a spy, always a spy. We can't go on

with someone like that."

Cait Sith sighed. "Just as I thought. Talking won't make a bit of difference. But I prepared something in case this happened." The cat raised a device from behind his back. "Listen to this?"

"Papa! Tifa!"

I immediately recognized Marlene's voice.

Barret started moving toward Cait Sith, a killer look in his eyes. Cloud and Vincent both stopped him.

Cait Sith lowered the recorder. "So, you have to do as I say."

"You're the lowest..." Cloud said through clenched teeth.

"I didn't want to do this... using dirty tricks and taking hostages. But this is how it is. No compromises. So why don't we continue on as we did? Oh, you may or may not know this, but... the keystone is the key to the Temple of the Ancients. Even so, you're all going, right? I happen to know where it is."

"Marlene better be all right!" bellowed Barret.

No one left the room after that, afraid that Cait Sith would try something else.

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I might post the next chapter as quickly as tomorrow because I'm anxious to get to the meat of the "present" story. I'm sure I won't hear any objections.

_Please leave feedback. Thanks._


	16. Chapter 16

_Author's Note – Okay, I finished editing faster than I thought. Plus I got enough reviews to motivate me to post this next chapter today instead of tomorrow. This should hold you over for a few days now._

_Thanks for the feedback. There are some interesting concepts out there on what's going to happen in the present story. Let's face it, even if you haven't played the game, you know the storyline, right? Anyway, I think you'll be mildly surprised in the upcoming chapters._

_Again, there's some added content in the "past" that'll answer one or two questions...but will probably raise more._

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Chapter 16

**Somewhere in the Middle of Nowhere – the present**

It got unbearably hot when the rain subsided.

Cloud removed his weapon harness and pulled off his teeshirt. He stuck one end of the teeshirt into his back pocket, letting the rest of it just dangle. The harness he hung from a branch.

I remained a few feet behind him as he continued hacking at the branches that got too thick, preventing us from passing.

Twenty minutes ago Cloud started talking and he hadn't stopped since.

I was amazed by the sudden burst of verbal energy.

"When Sephiroth got me through the stomach, I thought I was dead. I don't remember how I ended up at the Shinra mansion."

The muscles on his back moved in a pronounced manner. I was hypnotized as he swung his sword at the branches.

And then he stopped, turning toward me. "Tifa? Did you hear me?"

I realized he had been directing a question at me while I had been momentarily distracted by his bare upper half. "Huh?"

"I asked if you were sure you didn't see anything else in the reactor?"

"No," I said, shaking my head. "All I remember is seeing Zack go after Sephiroth. And then you were there. I thought I was hallucinating. After that Professor Zangan carried me out. I heard him say he hoped the boys in there would be alright. He must have meant you and Zack."

Cloud managed to cut through the branch. Then he paused. "Do you hear that?"

I moved closer to him and listened. There was a distinct sound of bubbling water. I gave him an excited look. When he moved forward, I grabbed his arm to stop him. "What about your weapon harness?"

"Just leave it. I can always come back here and get it another time."

A few minutes later we found a small stream. It wasn't big enough to immerse ourselves, but we both laid in the water and drank as it gently splashed over us. Despite the humidity in the air, the stream was surprisingly cool.

I sat up after soaking myself from head to toe. "I wonder if the others found any water."

Cloud gave me a frown from where he remained lying in the water. "Who cares?" He promptly closed his eyes.

My eyes drifted down to his bare chest and watched the water trailing over it. I had to look away because it only reminded me of all the times Cloud and I had…done things…in water. Yuffie was right when she told me yesterday that during our AVALANCHE days, Cloud and I made ourselves scarce at every opportunity. How embarrassing it was to know that the rest of the group knew what we were up to…even placed bets amongst themselves about it! I contemplated telling Cloud, but I wasn't sure he'd think it was funny.

Just then a sound echoed through the rainforest. Gunshots…followed immediately by a small explosion.

Cloud sat up.

We waited to hear more sounds. But there was only silence.

He got up on his feet. "I don't think we're alone on this island. Maybe we should keep moving."

I got up and fell in step with him as we continued on.

I missed his voice already. Why had he stopped talking? "So what happened after they took you to the Shinra Mansion?"

"I regained consciousness a lot. But it always seemed to be at the wrong time. His face was always in my line of vision…Hojo. Whenever I was lying on the table, they stuck me with needles and injected stuff into me. It was painful, but I tried not to show it."

"Did Zack suffer the same treatment?"

"I'm not sure. I never got a chance to ask Zack. I imagined Hojo only worked on one of us at a time because I could see Zack in a clear container full of Mako. The empty container next to him was probably where they kept me."

"You were kept in a container full of liquid Mako? You must have been so terrified."

"I was a lot of things…terrified, repulsed, furious. I felt desecrated in so many ways, poked and prodded with needles until I wanted to scream. Hojo just laughed at me. He could tell I was holding it all back and would purposely do things to try and break me. I might have…I don't really remember."

"So was it the Mako that messed you up?"

"That or the injections…I don't know. I was so out of it when Zack busted us out of there. After Zack was killed, I knew I was Cloud…but I got it in my head that I was a First Class SOLDIER and everything I had done were actually things Zack had done."

"You survived, that's all that matters."

"I never told any of this to anyone, Tifa."

"I know."

"Almost five years of my life…wasted. I might have finally made First Class SOLDIER if none of that ever happened."

"Blame it all on Sephiroth. He caused both of us a lot of hardship…loss of family and friends." I ran my fingers through my wet hair and smiled at him. "And by the way, you _would_ have made First Class, Cloud…not _might_ have."

"I shouldn't have stopped writing to you while I was at the academy."

"If you were embarrassed about not being a SOLDIER yet, you know it wouldn't have mattered to me."

"I know, Tifa, but it's an ego thing. I had been at the academy for a year, passed every exam…except…"

"You failed one of the exams?"

"Well, it wasn't an exam…I guess I had a bad reaction to the first Mako injection…or injections, according to Zack. They told me that if I couldn't tolerate the Mako, then I was out of the academy."

"But that's not fair. If you got more than the normal dose, then it wasn't your fault."

"Zack checked into it. He even talked to Sephiroth and I think something happened because Hojo was gone a week later."

"Sephiroth had Hojo fired?"

"Maybe."

We decided to follow the stream further inland, keeping close to our water source, as we searched for something that could possibly help us get off this godforsaken island. At least there weren't as many branches and bushes that needed to be cut down to make a path.

All the while Cloud continued talking. "Zack Fair had this way…I don't know what to even call it…but things always seemed to fall into place around the guy. People bent over backwards to accommodate him."

"Maybe it was his smile," I teased.

"Guess you noticed, huh?"

"When I first met Zack, he came across very flirty."

"Yeah, I don't wanna repeat what Zack said to me the night after we came back from Mt Nibel."

"What did he say?"

Cloud shook his head.

"Oh, come on, Cloud, tell me."

He turned and walked backwards, his eyes settling on mine. "I can't…"

"You can't make a statement like that and then not tell me."

"Well, if I tell you, you can't get mad at me."

"I promise I won't get mad."

"Remember what you were wearing when you led us to Mt Nibel?"

"Hat, boots, suede skirt and vest. What about it?"

"Okay, Zack said if I wasn't going to let you ride me like a bucking chocobo, then he'd be glad to take my place and show you a real thrill."

I gasped. "He did not say that."

"He did. I swear."

I looked away. "That perverted bastard." When I looked back at Cloud, he had a crooked grin plastered on his face. "You think it's funny, don't you?"

"Well, I can laugh about it now. But at the time I was pretty ticked off at him for saying it. I nearly put him through the wall before I realized he was kidding."

I smiled. "You defended my honor. That's so sweet, Cloud."

He rolled his eyes.

I laughed, knowing he didn't like to think of himself as very chivalrous. "Remember when you tripped Tommy?"

Cloud smiled again. "Yeah. I came real close to pulling off my helmet and revealing myself."

"But you were afraid he'd make a comment about you not being a SOLDIER."

"No. I didn't wanna start a fight. I had grown a lot stronger while at the academy. I would have really hurt him." He remained silent after that.

I studied his profile briefly as we continued walking, wondering if he was thinking about the fact that Tommy died not too long after that, like most of the people at Nibelheim did the night Sephiroth went crazy and burned everything down. I was about to say something about it.

"I wasn't strong enough to help Zack, though." He ran the back of his hand across his forehead to wipe away the sweat. "After he broke us out of the Shinra mansion, we hitched a ride to Midgar. The driver dropped us off near the cliff overlooking the city. I still couldn't move much. Zack left me behind some rocks near the road and went to look for a way down."

This was the first time Cloud had ever talked about what happened to Zack. In the past, the memory was just too painful for him to talk about.

"I couldn't move…but I could hear what was happening. Shinra guards…lots of them…had cornered him at the cliff. He fought them by himself, with just his buster sword, taking a few of them down. But there were too many. I think they thought I was a goner because they didn't even bother with me."

I wanted to reach for Cloud's hand, to give him some comfort, but decided to let him finish his story first.

"After awhile I crawled to where he was lying. He was still alive. I knew he wasn't going to make it. They had shot him up pretty bad. He gave me his buster sword and I remember his exact words. He said, 'Continue living. You're proof that I existed. My dreams and pride, I give it all to you'." He swallowed hard. "And then he was gone. He died protecting me."

I realized this was another tragedy that Cloud seemed to blame himself for. It wasn't just Aeris, or the people that died during our quest to find Sephiroth. This time I did reach for his hand and squeezed it. "I'm glad he gave you the chance to live. We never would have been able to defeat Sephiroth without you."

"Is that the only reason you're glad I lived?"

I caught the hint of a smile on his face and smiled back. "Of course not. You know how I feel about you."

Cloud dragged me to a stop and pulled me toward him as he anchored his sword into the soft ground.

I stared up at him, my eyes alittle wide, wondering what he was going to do and wishing it was what I had wanted for a long time.

He continued to hold my hand and reached up to my face with the other, his eyes locked on mine. "Tifa, you know how I feel about you, too, right?"

I gently shook my head. "No, Cloud. I don't know."

He leaned toward me, tilting his head to the right and planted a soft, open-mouthed kiss on my lips before drawing back a couple of inches. "I am so crazy in love with you, it scares me. But what scares me more than anything is that I'll lose you…and I would die if that happened."

I couldn't breathe as I languished in the warmth of his breath on my face. "I would die, too." I anticipated his lips touching mine again. It had been so, so long since we last kissed. But instead his breath moved away. I opened my eyes and noticed his eyes were focused on something behind me. "What?" I started to turn around, but he shushed me and held me firm.

The intense look in his eyes was scaring me.

Then I suddenly realized something disturbing. The sounds of the rainforest had faded. There wasn't a single sound. Not even a cricket. Just the sound of the lightly blowing hot breeze and the bubbling creek.

Cloud slowly began pulling me by the hand, drawing me behind him.

When I had the chance, I glanced around the area. But I didn't see a thing. "Cloud, whatta you see?"

He didn't answer, his eyes darting around, seeing something I obviously couldn't see.

Out of the corner of my eye, I spotted a small movement. When I turned to see what it was, there wasn't anything there.

Almost abruptly, I finally saw what Cloud had been seeing. Shadows moving just beyond my peripheral vision, never in full sight. They weren't animals. They were human. Five mud-covered men moving among the trees, perfectly camouflaged and practically invisible against them. They were carrying spears and seemed prepared to use them.

Cloud slowly reached for the handle of his sword and pulled it out from the ground. "Cannibals."

_Cannibals_…The word sent blood-curdling chills through me. "How can you tell?"

"Look at what's hanging from their necks," said Cloud.

I focused on their necklaces and realized in disgust that shrunken human heads were dangling from them. There weren't too many creatures I feared in this world, having battled almost everything imaginable. But the thought of cannibals quickened my pulse and my breath.

Cloud forced me to back up and we slowly backed away from the approaching natives. I glanced behind me as we headed in the direction we had just come.

The natives kept approaching, the whites of their eyes standing out starkly against the dark mud caked all over them.

"When I say go," Cloud whispered as he raised his sword. "I want you to turn around and run like hell."

I was suddenly trembling all over, not sure if I could get my legs to propel me fast enough. These natives looked like they'd be able to overtake us in seconds.

"Shit," he suddenly said.

I glanced at Cloud as his hand went up to the side of his neck. He plucked a small dart out of his skin and looked down at it. Then he wobbled and stumbled back against me. I turned and come face to face with a cannibal hanging upside down from a branch, a peashooter sticking out of his mouth. I screamed and tried to climb on Cloud's back, but he fell to the ground. I pulled on his arm, trying to revive him. It was no use. He was out cold, or maybe already dead.

The cannibals continued to approach and I panicked, whirling around as they surrounded me, forgetting I was a skilled and accomplished fighter. Then I felt a sharp pain on my left arm and saw a dart sticking out of my bicep.

My last conscious thought was that I hoped they choked on me.

**

* * *

**

TEMPLE OF THE ANCIENTS – the past

In the morning we were notified that the tram was functioning again. We left the Gold Saucer and after leaving North Corel, we headed for the Tiny Bronco. It was still where we left it.

Cait Sith directed Cid on where to go and the pilot took us south of Junon to the Woodlands Area.

After leaving the Tiny Bronco on the beach, we trekked through the forest until we came across a huge pyramid shaped temple.

There was a fragile looking bridge leading to the entrance.

Aeris walked forward and stopped halfway across the bridge, kneeling on the loose wooden planks. "I feel it…The knowledge of the Ancients...floating...You could become one with the Planet, but you're stopping it with the strength of will. For the future? For us?"

Cloud exchanged a glance with me. "What is she saying?"

I shook my head. "I don't know."

"You're uneasy but happy?" Aeris went on as if she was speaking to someone standing in front of her. "Because I'm here? I'm sorry, I don't understand."

Cloud and I moved forward to follow Aeris as she slowly got back up and moved to the entrance.

When the others stared to follow, Cloud held a hand up. "Everyone just wait out here. I don't think this bridge can handle much more."

Cloud and I followed Aeris through a series of cramped corridors until we emerged into a small chamber.

Aeris rushed forward where someone was lying on the floor near a pillar. "Tseng!"

Despite the fact that Tseng was a Turk, seeing him lying there with blood seeping out of a wound in his stomach was nerve-wrecking.

"I've…I've been had," he said in a raspy voice. "It's not the Promised Land...Sephiroth's searching for..."

Cloud stiffened and his eyes darted around. "Sephiroth is here?"

"The President...was wrong..."

"You're wrong," Aeris said. "The Promised Land isn't like what you imagined. And I'm not going to help. Either way, there was no way Shinra could win."

Tseng smiled weakly. "Sounds like something...you'd say." He held something up in his hand. "Cloud…the keystone... Place it on...the alter..."

Cloud took the keystone and Aeris and I followed behind him. When Aeris whimpered, he turned around. "Are you crying?"

Aeris wiped at her eyes. "Tseng's with our enemy, but I've known him since we were little. There's not a lot of people I can say that about. In fact, there are probably only a handful of people in the world who really know me."

Cloud placed the keystone on the alter and suddenly the three of us were transported to another room.

Aeris looked in a daze. "Words...feelings...So many of them here."

There was only one door in the room. We walked through it and found ourselves on a narrow path. The moment we started forward, several boulders came rolling toward us.

"Duck, quick!" yelled Cloud.

As the first boulder reached us, I realized it had a hollow side that came down over us and then continued on. With the next boulder, Cloud timed it so we were in the exact spot the hollow came down. The next three boulders were the same until we reached the end of the path.

I sighed in relief. "Phew! We did it!"

Cloud looked at Aeris and I. "Everyone all right?"

Suddenly Aeris turned back and headed for a pool of water. "Oh no...! Come quick!"

We ran up to the pool as Aeris kneeled in front of it. "It's full of knowledge...consciousness...a living soul. It's trying to say something." She reached down to touch the water. "I'm sorry, I don't understand. What is it? Danger? An evil...consciousness? You're going to show me?"

Suddenly a bright light flashed all around us and the scenery around us changed. We were inside a large chamber with hieroglyphics all over the walls. But we weren't in the room. It was like a hologram.

Cloud looked around. "What's going on?"

Aeris grabbed his arm. "Wait! Look! It's showing us!"

Two figures materialized. Tseng and Elena of the Turks.

"Tseng, what's this?" Elena asked as she saw the keystone in Tseng's hand. "Can we find the Promised Land with this?"

"I'm not sure. Anyway, we have to report to the President."

"I'll go. Just be careful, Tseng."

"Yeah..." He turned as Elena started to walk out. "Hey Elena, how about dinner after this job's over?"

Elena smiled. "I would love it." Then she walked out.

Tseng turned toward the wall of hieroglyphics. "Is this the Promised Land? No, it can't be..."

I gasped when Sephiroth suddenly appeared behind us. But he was also a hologram.

Tseng seemed surprised to see him. "Sephiroth!"

"I see you opened the door. Well done."

"This place...what is it?"

"A lost treasure house of knowledge. The wisdom of the Ancients. I am becoming one with the Planet."

Tseng frowned. "One with the Planet?"

"You stupid fools. You have no idea of the power. All the spirit energy of this Planet. All its wisdom...knowledge...I will meld with it all. I will become one with it...it will become one with me." Sephiroth moved toward Tseng, drawing his Masamune. "The way...lies here." He swung his sword, slashing it across Tseng's torso.

Tseng fell to the floor.

"Only death awaits you all. But do not fear. For it is through death that a new spirit energy is born. Soon, you will live again as a part of me."

The white light flashed again and the hologram was gone.

"We have to get to the room with the pictures on the walls," said Cloud.

Aeris led the way. "We're almost there."

Cloud drew his sword. "If Sephiroth is here, I'm taking him out this time!"

We finally entered the large chamber from the hologram.

Cloud moved to the center and looked around. "Where are you, Sephiroth?!"

Just then he stepped out from behind a pillar, Masamune in hand. "You should know I am always by your side." He raised his hand to the room. "A treasure house of knowledge...Look well."

"At what!?"

"At that which adds to the knowledge of...I am becoming one with the Planet. Soon...we will become one."

Aeris and I maintained our distance, but I wasn't going to be left out of the conversation. "How do you intend to become one with the Planet?" I asked.

"It's simple. Once the Planet is hurt, it gathers Spirit Energy to heal the injury. The amount of energy gathered depends on the size of the injury. What would happen if there was an injury that threatened the very life of the Planet? Think how much energy would be gathered!" He laughed maniacally. "And at the center of that injury will be me. All that boundless energy will be mine. By merging with all the energy of the Planet, I will become a new life form, a new existence. Melding with the Planet...I will cease to exist as I am now...Only to be reborn as a 'God' to rule over every soul."

"An injury powerful enough to destroy the Planet?" Aeris asked incredulously. "How do you intend to injure the Planet?"

Sephiroth stepped toward the wall. "Behold the mural. The Ultimate Destructive Magic. Meteor."

I studied the pictures and saw an image that looked like a huge ball crashing into the planet. When I turned back to Sephiroth, he was gone.

Cloud moved to the spot Sephiroth had been standing and suddenly started laughing. It was a crazed, demented laugh.

I rushed over to him and shook his shoulder. "Cloud, what's wrong with you?"

He continued laughing. "Black Materia…Ha, ha, ha...Call Meteor."

I shook him again, but he seemed a million miles away.

"Cloud..." he mumbled. "I'm...Cloud...How should I…? I remember…! I remember my way..." He suddenly snapped out of it and shook his head. "Huh? What's wrong? Is something wrong?"

"This must be magic."

I turned to find Aeris intently studying the mural on the wall.

"Just what Sephiroth was saying. The Ultimate Destructive Magic. Meteor. It finds small drifting planets with its magic. And then collides with them. This Planet might get wiped out entirely..."

Cloud noticed something at the other end of the chamber. It was a small pyramid floating above an alter. "What's this?"

Aeris and I both walked over and stood on either side of him.

Aeris leaned to look closer at the altar. "There's something written on it. Let me see if I can translate the inscription. B... l… a... c... k... m... a... t... e... r… i… a..."

"Black Materia!" Cloud and I both said at the same time.

I turned to Cloud.. "What should we do?"

"Let's take it." He reached for it and the room suddenly started to shake. "Now what?"

Aeris stepped away. "Wait a minute, I'll ask! I don't understand." She was speaking to her invisible people again. What? Really!?" She turned back to us. "They said that the Temple itself is the Black Materia."

"What?" asked Cloud. "This whole building is the Black Materia? Then no one could take it."

"It's a device that gets smaller each time you solve a puzzle. As the model becomes smaller, you become smaller too. Until it's small enough to fit in the palm of your hand."

"So if we solve the puzzles, the Black Materia will get smaller and smaller and we can take it out?"

"Yes, but there's one problem. You can only answer the puzzles inside the Temple. So anyone who solves the puzzle will be crushed by the Temple."

Cloud raised his eyebrows. "The Ancients obviously didn't want this dangerous magic to be taken out of the Temple so easily."

"Let's just leave it alone then," I suggested.

"No, we can't. We've gotta think of a way to get it out. Sephiroth has a lot of flunkies. It's nothing to him to throw their lives away to get the Black Materia."

Cloud's phone rang. He answered it right away and put the call on speaker.

"Hi, Cloud. It's Cait Sith. I overheard the whole story! Everything you said makes perfect sense! You can use my stuffed body for the future of the Planet."

"We can't let Sephiroth or Shinra get their hands on the Black Materia."

"Alright, then you need to trust me."

Cloud exchanges glances with Aeris and I. "I guess we have no choice."

"Good, I'll be waiting at the exit!"

As Cloud put his phone away, we rushed to the door, only to find it locked.

Aeris and I started to quickly look for another way out.

"It's warm," said Cloud.

I turned back toward the door as Cloud started moving away from it. Suddenly something came through the wall. "Cloud! Behind you!"

He turned and backed away, unsheathing his buster sword.

I quickly used the Barrier materia to caste protection over the three of us as we engaged the large lizard trying to morph its way into the room.

Cloud summoned Odin using his red summon materia and the Grunge Lance destroyed the creature before it could inflict any further harm on us.

Aeris suffered a few scratches that she quickly healed using her own power.

When Cloud tried the door, this time it opened. We made our way back the way we came until we were outside of the temple.

Cait Sith was waiting for us there. "Well, everyone. This is it. Take care of yourselves."

Aeris watched him sadly. "Poor Cait Sith. Cloud...Say something."

Cloud shrugged with a frown. "I'm not good at this."

The mechanical cat smiled. "I understand. I feel the same, too."

"I know," Aeris said excitedly. "Why don't you read our fortunes?"

"Say, that's right...I haven't done it in a while, huh? Now, what should I predict?"

Aeris wrapped her arms around Cloud's left one. "Hmm, let's see how compatible Cloud and I are!"

Cloud looked uncomfortable. He glanced with trepidation in my direction.

"Okay, here goes," said Cait Sith. His moogle did a little hopping dance before a ticket popped out of its mouth. "Uh oh."

Aeris tried to take the ticket from him. "Tell me! What does it say?"

"It says you're perfect for each other! Both of your stars show a great future! Cloud, I'll be your matchmaker, preacher...I'll do whatever you want me to! You just call me when it all happens! Thank you for believing in me, even though you knew I was a spy. This is the final, final farewell!" Cait Sith entered the temple.

"Now what?" asked Cid.

"We wait," replied Cloud.

I frowned and kicked at some stones near my feet. My eyes drifted up to where Aeris was still affectionately clinging to Cloud's arm. So they were perfect for each other? I felt a stab to my heart and walked away, unable to look at them together any longer.

I found a fallen tree and planted myself on it, wiping at the tears in my eyes, hating myself for hopelessly loving Cloud. When I heard approaching footfalls, I wiped my eyes again.

"Tifa?" It was Cloud.

I didn't look up at him.

"Something wrong?"

I shook my head.

"Why're you crying? He was just a mechanical cat. He wasn't alive."

Did he really think I was upset because Cait Sith was going to his death? "Just leave me alone, Cloud."

He didn't listen. He came up and crouched down in front of me, right in my field of vision. "What's wrong, Tifa? Tell me."

I looked at him. "Is there something going on between you and Aeris?"

"Huh? No…there's nothing going on."

"Then why is she hanging on you all of a sudden."

He looked down. "She's just messing around. There's no meaning behind it."

So why couldn't he look at me and say it? "Messing around? Well, isn't that what we're doing, too, Cloud?"

He looked up with a frown. "What're you talking about?"

"I don't know anymore." When he tried to hug me, I pushed him away and got up. "Let's face it. Your future with Aeris is perfect, according to Cait Sith's fortune."

"That's just a bunch of crap. I don't believe in fortunes." He came up behind me.

I felt his breath on the side of my neck.

Cloud wrapped his arms around me. "I don't want her. You're the one I want."

My eyes closed in pure bliss as he brushed his lips against my skin. "No…"

"Yes…"

My knees were growing weak. "Are you sure nothing happened on that date with Aeris?"

"Nothing…" Kiss. "…happened."

I turned around in his arms to face him and greedily accepted his mouth as he kissed me. "No more dates with her?" I asked between kisses.

"No more dates…with her or anyone else."

I wrapped my arms around his neck as he deepened the kiss. My will-power was shot when it came to Cloud. I couldn't help it. I burned and ached for him. And I was pretty sure he knew it, too. He knew exactly the right buttons to push.

A loud rumbling sound forced us apart and we quickly headed back to join the others. When we got there, the entire temple had disappeared.

"What the hell happened?" Cloud asked.

"Hell if I know," Cid replied, a halo of smoke surrounding him from the cigarette dangling from his lip. "Thing just vanished."

There was a huge, gaping hole where the temple had been.

Cloud peered down into the hole. "There's something down there. That's gotta be the Black Materia."

As Cloud jumped down into the hole, Aeris followed him. Their voices echoed up to us as they spoke.

"Are you able to use it?" he asked Aeris.

"Nope, we can't use it right now. You need great spiritual power to use it."

"You mean lots of Spiritual energy?"

"That's right. One person's power alone won't do it. Somewhere special. Where there's plenty of the Planet's energy...Somewhere like the Promised Land."

"What about Sephiroth?"

"Sephiroth is different. He's not an Ancient."

"He shouldn't be able to find the Promised Land."

"Ah, but I have," an all too familiar voice responded. Suddenly Sephiroth appeared hovering over the hole. "I'm far superior to the Ancients. I became a traveler of the Lifestream and gained the knowledge and wisdom of the Ancients. And soon, I will create the future."

"I won't let you do it!" yelled Aeris. "The future is not only yours!"

Sephiroth laughed. "I wonder…Wake up!"

Cloud fell to his knees and wrapped his arms around his head. "Shut up! Shut up!"

All of a sudden a younger version of Cloud appeared, just like he looked when we were younger.

"There, Cloud," Sephiroth said in a soothing voice as he floated down. "Good boy."

Cloud wailed loudly. "The...noise!"

I stared in disbelief as the young Cloud took the Black Materia from Cloud and handed it to Sephiroth.

"Well done." Sephiroth rose back up and disappeared.

Aeris crouched beside Cloud. "Cloud, are you all right?"

"I…I gave the Black Materia to Sephiroth...? Wha...what did I do...tell me, Aeris."

She tried to get him up. "Be strong!"

"Urrrrrrgh...What have I done!?"

"It's not your fault."

All of a sudden he pushed Aeris roughly, knocking her hard into the wall. She hit her head on the rocks and collapsed. "I…I'm…"

"Cloud!" I yelled down. "What're you doing?" I ran to another side of the hole and hopped from one jutting rock to another until I reached the bottom.

But by that time, Cloud had passed out.

_

* * *

_

Hope you liked the cliffies for both the present and the past.

_To be honest, when I played the game not so long ago, I was so confused at this point because the dialogue just didn't seem to explain what was really happening. As I mentioned before, it could be the dialogue just didn't translate very well in English. _

_Those that have played the game know what's coming soon._

_Please leave feedback. Thanks._


	17. Chapter 17

Author's Note – I'm glad I surprised some of you with… --insert dramatic music here-- _Cannibals!_ --end of dramatic music--

Don't forget, I'm leaving a lot of unexplained loose ends for a reason. Heeheehee!

**

* * *

**

Chapter 17

**Somewhere in the Middle of Nowhere – the present**

I woke with a severe headache. How much did I drink the night before?

Then I remembered…I wasn't home.

_Cannibals…_

As I studied my immediate surroundings, I realized I was in some sort of cage. The ground was covered with hay or straw and in a corner was a trough full of water. What the hell…? They were treating me like some kind of barn animal.

My head throbbed painfully as I stood up and walked to the bars. They were made of a surprisingly strong bamboo. I wrapped my hands around them and tried to shake them loose. They didn't budge.

I was about to give the bars a power kick, but then I noticed one of the cannibals was sitting on the ground several feet away. He had a lethal looking spear and a peashooter in his hands. He was watching my every move. The last thing I wanted was to be shot with another one of those darts that rendered me unconscious.

I didn't like the look in his eyes. My stomach convulsed when I thought about him possibly thinking I was good enough to eat.

Outside the cage was some sort of village. From the looks of it, it was well-hidden in the dense rainforest, daylight bathing only a few small areas under the canopy of trees above. The only other light source came from torches staked all around. The scattered huts looked mainly comprised of mud and straw. They weren't very big at all. The natives of the village were all dark-skinned, thin and short, wearing simple loincloths and nothing else. The women carried baskets of wood or plants, or stoked a large fire in the center of the village.

There were no riches in this village. It was obvious these people were very primitive and had no influence from the rest of the outside world. I imagined they probably spoke a different language so there wouldn't be any bargaining for my freedom.

As I continued visually inspecting everything, I came to realize there was a lack of laughter from any children. Judging from the small glimpses of sky through the trees, it was still daylight. Either the children went to bed very early or there were none in this village. The latter left me with a very uneasy feeling.

My next thought was Cloud. Where was he? What had they done to him?

I spied a hut with white smoke streaming out of a bamboo pipe on the thatch ceiling. "Oh God, please don't let them be cooking him." The bile rose to my throat. I was going to vomit any second.

Thunder rumbled and in the next second it started to pour.

The ceiling of my cage was also made of bars so there was no protection from the torrential rain as it found its way through the leaves in the trees. In a matter of seconds I was drenched.

The native outside my cage didn't seem to be affected by the rain. The dirt around him immediately turned to mud and he still didn't move.

I decided to see if he could understand me. "Excuse me…what's the name of this village?"

No reaction. He just sat there staring.

With nothing to do but watch the movement of the villagers, I sat myself down near the bars.

I wasn't sure how much time had passed before a door to one of the huts opened. Four men stepped out, dragging something behind them. I gasped when I realized it was Cloud. He had been stripped of his boots and trousers, leaving him in just his boxers. Was he alive? He wasn't putting up a fight...wasn't even moving.

As the native men dragged him by the feet, moving in the direction of my cage, I was shocked to see Cloud's bare chest covered with blood. I couldn't tell if it was his blood or where it was coming from. As the rain began rinsing it away, he didn't appear to have any cuts or open wounds.

I jumped to my feet as one cannibal opened a nearby gate and the other three flung Cloud inside my cage. He rolled several times and hit the bars at the back of the cage.

I rushed toward him. "Cloud!"

He quickly scrambled away, cowering from me with a frightened wail and forcing me to stop in my tracks.

I turned my attention to the natives as they tied the gate with a vine.

Cloud weakly rolled onto his hands and knees and started coughing and gagging. A minute later he puked some dark red liquid. It looked like blood.

The cannibal who had kept guard earlier was back at the same spot, sitting down with his spear and peashooter.

I moved toward Cloud again. "Cloud…It's okay. It's me. Tifa." I approached him and this time he didn't move away. As I sat on the straw, I pulled his upper body over my lap.

He was shivering violently and groaning in what sounded like pain.

I didn't know where he was hurting. It was too dark for me to see if he had any bruises. Seeing him like this made me sick to my stomach. I couldn't take it anymore. I burst into tears.

This was all my fault. If I had just stayed home, we wouldn't be in this predicament.

Cloud had another coughing fit and vomited again right next to me.

I tried to comfort him, massaging his back and running my fingers through his hair, which was plastered with mud.

Finally he stopped coughing and his breathing slowly went back to normal.

I cradled him against me. "What did they do to you?"

Cloud closed his eyes, his brows crinkled together…in anger, in pain, in fear…maybe all three.

I waited for him to tell me, to say anything. But he remained silent.

After awhile the rain finally stopped and with the passing of the storm clouds, the sunlight streaming through the trees lightened the area.

Now I was better able to assess Cloud's injuries. As I looked him over though, I didn't see any visible signs of abuse. He was just dirty from the mud they had dragged him through on the way to the cage.

I leaned closer to his face. "Cloud? Can you hear me?"

His eyes slowly came open, but they didn't look at me.

"Are you hurt? Are you in pain?"

He barely moved his head from side to side, but it indicated he wasn't.

"Then what's wrong? Why are you so weak?" I waited for a response and didn't get any.

He just stared blankly.

I bent forward and kissed him on the forehead. "It's okay," I said with my lips still pressed against his skin. It was on fire. He was burning up. "You'll get better as soon as we get out of this." I kissed his forehead again. "I believe in you." I remembered saying those same words to him before, after he had given the powerful Black Materia to Sephiroth the first time.

Sometime in the middle of the night, Cloud pulled away from me and was on his feet.

Thunder rumbled overhead and the rain soon followed, coming down hard again. This place was a rainforest in every sense of the word.

In the near darkness I watched Cloud moving around the cage. He stopped and tilted his face up, letting the rain wash over him. His Mako-enhanced eyes glowed eerily. It was a trait I thought I had gotten used to, but every time I saw his eyes in the darkness, it made me shiver and reminded me of the things Hojo had done to him.

I sat up, drawing my legs to my chest and wrapping my arms around my knees. I suddenly felt chilled to the bone despite the perpetual heat and humidity of the rainforest.

That's when Cloud started to pace. He moved from one end of the bamboo bars to the other, his eyes focused beyond them. His fear had virtually disappeared, as if it never existed.

**

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**

GONGAGA – the past

The closest town was Gongaga on the other side of the sea.

Before we left, to our complete surprise Cait Sith appeared. He told us he was number two, but we all knew the brains behind the mechanical cat and moogle was sitting at Shinra Headquarters.

During the ride in the Tiny Bronco, Cloud remained unconscious. I was worried he suffered some kind of mental trauma from the confrontation with Sephiroth. His mind seemed so fragile lately. I started to think that whatever happened to him, between the time he left Nibelheim seven years ago til the time I found him at the train station in Midgar almost a week ago, was far more serious than he led me to believe. He hadn't offered any kind of explanation for his whereabouts all those years or why the records at Shinra Corp said he was dead.

When we arrived in Gongaga, Barret and Cid carried Cloud inside one of the houses and laid him on a bed. I stayed in the bedroom with him, occasionally dabbing his forehead with a cold rag.

It wasn't until late into the next morning that Cloud finally moved. He was still out, but was mumbling something and shivering every few seconds.

I gently nudged him on the shoulder and he jolted awake.

His eyes traveled to mine in confusion.

"I think you were having a nightmare. How are you feeling?"

Cloud sat up, glancing around the room. "Alright, I guess. Where am I?"

"Gongaga. We didn't know where else to go."

Barret suddenly stormed through the door. "Thought I heard voices. Finally up, are ya?"

"Where're the others?" asked Cloud.

I bit my lower lip and decided to just come out and say it. "Cloud, Aeris is gone."

"Everyone's out looking for her," Barret added.

Cloud looked down with a frown. "I know."

"How do you know?" I asked. "You were unconscious the whole time."

"City of the Ancients. She's headed there. Only the Ancients, only Aeris can save us from the Meteor."

I touched Cloud's hand. "That's where we have to go. If Sephiroth finds her, she'll be in trouble."

"Sephiroth... already knows."

"Then why the hell're we still sittin' around?" yelled Barret.

I stood up. "Let's go, Cloud."

He shook his head. "No. I might lose it again. If Sephiroth comes near me I might…I might go crazy."

Barret pointed a finger at Cloud's face. "Yeah, Goddammit! It's 'cuz of you that Sephiroth got the Black Materia in the first place. It's your damn fault!"

I tried to quiet Barret down, but he wasn't finished.

"Half the time you get all pissed 'cuz you don't understand yourself. Just a damn jackass, that's what you are. How many people in this world do ya think really understand themselves? People get depressed all the time 'cuz they don't know what's up. But, they go on living. They don't run away. That's how it's supposed to be." He stormed out of the room.

I slipped my hand around Cloud's. "You'll come with us, right?"

He didn't respond.

"I believe in you." I let my hand slide out of his and silently walked out of the room.

Barret was in the hallway, his gunarm resting on a piece of furniture.

I was about to turn and go back into the bedroom.

"Wait a minute, Tifa. Give him a chance. He has to decide this on his own."

A few minutes passed before the bedroom door opened and Cloud stepped out. He had an uncertain look in his eyes as he looked at us.

"I just wanna know what it's gonna be?" asked Barret. "You wanna find out about yourself? Or are you too afraid? Either way, you stay around here and about all you can do is worry about it. Even if you do go nuts again when you see Sephiroth...If it happens, it happens." He raised his gunarm. "I'll go upside your spiky white head and bring you back to normal!"

I thought I caught a hint of a smile on Cloud's face as he passed us and headed for the front door.

**

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**

CITY OF THE ANCIENTS – the past

I didn't question Cloud about how he knew the location of the City of the Ancients. He seemed to follow some mental map, as if someone had put it there.

We went through a forest of white trees on foot and through a maze of boulders and dead tree trunks in a canyon before the city was finally in sight. A thorough search was conducted of every building we came across. We found a few useful items and rested a bit in one of the rooms.

But Cloud seemed anxious to keep moving. He was right. Aeris could be in danger.

"I feel it..." he said with a haunted look on his face.

Barret had been chewing on an energy bar and stopped mid-bite. "Feel what?"

"Aeris is here...and so is Sephiroth."

Cid took a drag from his cigarette. "Hey, how do you know?"

"I feel it in my soul."

An involuntary shiver ran up my spine.

We left the house and our group headed back along the long path we first encountered. There were two other paths at the fork.

Cloud pointed down the center path. "Aeris's voice…coming from there."

We headed down the path and through a tunnel leading to a quiet forest. There was a lagoon with amazingly clear water. The sun was shining brightly down on it. On the other side of the lagoon was a structure with a doorway.

Cloud led the way.

Inside the structure was a long, winding stairway into a vast underground chamber containing a castle with three spires.

After searching the interior, we found a staircase. At the bottom was a platform overlooking another body of water.

Cloud stepped forward to a set of five pylons sticking out of the water. On the other side was another staircase. "Aeris."

I looked up toward a small circular platform. Aeris was kneeling at the center as if she was praying.

Yuffie rushed forward. "Let's go!"

Cloud held his arm out to prevent Yuffie from advancing. "No! Stay here." He went alone, jumping from one pylon to the other until he reached the other side.

There was something strange about his movements as he slowly climbed the stairs. My eyes widened when he drew his sword. I looked around, thinking that something was about to attack him.

But there was nothing.

Cloud shook his head, as if he was trying to gather his senses. He took another step toward Aeris, raising his buster sword. Another step and he was standing in front of her kneeling form. He raised the sword over his head and started to bring it down.

I rushed forward. "Cloud!"

His arms locked, the blade only inches from the top of Aeris's head. He shook his head again and stumbled backward. "What am I doing?" He continued to stumble backward until he was halfway down the stairs.

Aeris looked up at him at that moment. She smiled.

Just then Sephiroth appeared, dropping from above. Before anyone could react, he plunged his Masamune through Aeris's back. The tip of it came out the front of her torso.

"No!" I yelled.

Sephiroth had a maniacal grin on his face as he pulled the sword out.

Aeris slumped forward and Cloud caught her before she hit the ground.

I was about to rush forward, but Barret and Cid held me back.

All of us were in shock.

Cloud shook her. "Aeris…this can't be real!"

"Do not worry," Sephiroth said in his disturbingly calm voice. "Soon the girl will become part of the Planet's energy. All that is left is to go North. The 'Promised Land' waits for me over the snowy fields. There I will become a new being by uniting with the planet. As will this girl..."

"Shut up!" yelled Cloud. "Your stupid plan doesn't mean shit! Aeris is gone. She won't ever talk, or laugh, cry...or get angry." Cloud hugged her limp form before turning to look over his shoulder at Sephiroth. "What about us? What're we supposed to do? What about my pain?" He lowered Aeris to the ground and raised his hand. "My fingers are tingling. My mouth is dry. My eyes are burning!"

"What are you saying? Are you trying to tell me you have feelings now?

Cloud stood up and spun around to face him. " Of course! Who do you think I am!?"

Sephiroth laughed. "Stop acting as if you're sad. No need to act as though you're angry either. Because Cloud….you are..." He didn't finished his statement as he floated upward and disappeared.

Something dropped down and flashed. When the light was gone, a hideous creature stood in front of Cloud.

Our group jumped along the pylons to help Cloud battle the creature.

We summoned Bahamut and Odin. Still the creature wouldn't die. It took Cloud's Meteorain skill to finally defeat it.

As it vanished, a voice echoed. "Because, you are...a puppet."

"I'm...a puppet?" Cloud whispered to himself.

We all stood staring at Aeris's limp form, unable to believe she was gone.

Everyone took turns paying their last respects to her and walked away.

When it was just Yuffie and I standing with Cloud, she suddenly burst into tears and flung herself at Cloud. Cloud hugged her tightly as she cried. When he released her, she fled to follow the others.

I crouched down beside Aeris and stared at her pale face. For the last couple of days I thought terrible things about Aeris, thinking she was trying to steal Cloud away from me. Whether that had actually been her intention, I'd never know. Now I felt bad because she sacrificed herself for our lives. But it was all in vain. Sephiroth was still alive.

I reached down to push the hair away from her face. "Goodbye…" As I stood up, the tears came. I ran, not wanting Cloud to see me crying.

But I stopped a short distance away and looked back.

Cloud picked up Aeris and carried her down the stairs. He carried her up the winding staircase until he reached the lagoon in the forest.

I watched with tears in my eyes as he carried her into the water until it was waist deep. My hand flew to my mouth to stifle my sobs as he gently released her on the surface of the water.

Aeris floated for a few seconds and then slowly sank.

Cloud hung his head in grief. I left him alone.

Later on we were gathered in one of the huts in the City of the Ancients. No one was talking. We were all lost in our own thoughts.

Cloud finally appeared. He shuffled his feet as he walked around the room, finding a place to sit beside me.

The silence in the room was deafening.

"I'm Cloud, ex-SOLDIER, born in Nibelheim," he suddenly mumbled and looked up. "I came to settle up with Sephiroth."

Cid snorted from the corner. "I heard that before."

"I came here by my own free will," Cloud said slowly as he stood up. "Or so I thought. But the truth is, I'm afraid of myself. There's a part of me that I don't understand. The part that made me give the Black Materia to Sephiroth. If you hadn't stopped me…Aeris…I might've...There's something inside of me. A person who is not really me. That's why I should quit this journey. Before I do something terrible."

I stood up, ready to argue.

Cloud held up a hand to stop me. "But I'm going. He destroyed my hometown five years ago, killed Aeris, and is now trying to destroy the Planet. I have to go on." He glanced around at each of us. "I have a favor to ask. Will you all come with me? To stop me from doing something terrible."

Barret shook his head. "I dunno, man. This is all fucked up."

"I don't know how Aeris tried to save the planet from the Meteor," Cloud went on. "And I guess now we'll never know. But we still have a chance! We must get that Black Materia back before Sephiroth uses it." He looked around the room again. "Are you with me?!"

"Yes!" I cried out and realized everyone else in the room had said it at the same time.

Cloud led the way out of the City of the Ancients. "Sephiroth said he was heading north, passed the snowy fields."

Cid lit a cigarette. "Looks like I picked the wrong day to dress light."

**

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**

ICICLE VILLAGE – the past

We went to the northern continent in the Tiny Bronco. Upon arrival, we found the place crawling with Shinra guards.

Among them was Elena. "There they are, hurry!"

We tried to leave town from the other side, but they caught up to us.

Elena was out of breath. "Cloud...I won't let you go any further!"

Cloud looked down the side of a ledge. "What's down there?"

"Can't tell you. Anyway, it doesn't matter." She looked furious. "You really got guts doin' my boss in like that!"

"You mean Tseng? That wasn't us. Sephiroth did it."

"No! Don't think you can fool me, liar!"

"I'm not lying...it was Sephiroth."

"Don't act so innocent. I'll never forget it!"

Cloud looked over his shoulder at the rest of us, probably wondering what to do.

Elena moved closer to him. "Looks like talking alone won't cut it. You're going to have to feel some pain!" She raised her fists. "There's no way you can avoid my punch." She threw a punch and Cloud stepped out of reach. Elena lost her balance and tumbled down the hill.

I stared with my mouth open as the Shinra guards chased after her, leaving us unguarded.

Cloud turned to us and pointed innocently to where Elena and the guards disappeared. "Can't blame me for _that_. She did it on her own."

We decided to check out the shops in town to replenish our supplies. In one of the shops, while the owner wasn't looking, Cloud managed to swipe a map of the glacier we needed to cross. Another shop owner told us we needed snowboards if we planned to make it down the slope, so we ended up buying eight of them, one for each of us.

The way down the slope was treacherous and most of us kept crashing our snowboards. Luckily we were all alive by the time we reached the bottom, and the beginning of the glacier.

Cid shook his head in disgust. "I'm getting to old for this shit."

"Come on before we freeze to death out here," Cloud suggested.

We walked through a blizzard and found a small hut, making no qualms about going inside uninvited.

A old man greet us. "Now, this is a surprise! How many years has it been since I last saw anyone here? Oh, excuse me. My name is Holzoff. I've lived here for twenty years now. You mind listening to the stories of a lonely climber? Why don't you all sit down."

We decided to keep the old man company while we warmed up.

"You ever hear about those who challenged the cliff?" he asked.

"No," replied Cloud.

"There's an old legend that says something fell from the sky here a long time ago. That's what supposedly pushed the land up and formed this cliff. Thirty years ago, Yamski and I took this cliff on to see what was on the other side. But we weren't prepared for it. We did expect the temperature to be low but...on that cliff, there's always a biting cold wind. The cold air lowers your body temperature. Yamski was below me. He cut his own rope...and I didn't even notice... Ever since then I've settled here...continuing to challenge the cliff and provide warning and shelter to my fellow climbers. If you're going to climb the cliff, there's two precautions you'll need to take. First, check your route. It's hard to find because of all the snow. Second, once you get to a ledge, make sure you warm yourselves up. Understand?"

After we all had a chance to rest and warm up, we headed back out.

Barret was shivering in the cold. "You know, Cloud, I've been thinkin'."

"About what?"

"Seein' a place like this makes you realize how awesome nature is. But if anyone ever told me to live here, I'd tell them to...you know...I tell you one thing though, if I did have to live here I'd change things around and make it better. I guess the total opposite of this would be Midgar. When you think of it that way, Shinra don't seem so bad." He paused and shook his head. "What the hell am I sayin'!? The Shinra, not bad!?"

"Barret and I will secure the route," Cloud told us. "The rest of you stay here until I call you."

It was dark by the time we all made it to the crater.

When I walked up beside Cloud I noticed he was staring at the wide chasm below.

"Something fell out of the sky and crashed down here," he said outloud. "Leaving a scar on the planet."

"So all this energy's gathered here for the planet to heal itself?" asked Barret.

"Sephiroth took that energy and is trying to use Meteor. Next time the wound won't be so small." He turned to me. "Maybe you and Yuffie should wait out here."

I frowned at him. "You're going to have it out with Sephiroth, aren't you? Because of Sephiroth, I lost a lot of things, too. I want to come along. Please don't say no, Cloud."

He let out a deep sigh. "Alright. Have it your way."

Our group started down into the crater.

_

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_

Someone left a review stating that the Aeris situation is a "must" to bring up and it would be stupid to pretend it never happened. And so I've tried to portray it as realistically to the game as possible. But it's far from explained…there will be more on this subject in future chapters. It just never ends…sigh…

_Please leave feedback. Thanks!_


	18. Chapter 18

_Author's Note – Okay, I promised Sanne (known on this site as Only Sa-kun) that I'd post this chapter today. So here it is. By the way, check out her stories. Yes, I do check out the stories of those that post reviews, if they have any. It's only fair But since I'm on a Cloud Strife kick, I might not comment on stories not centering around Final Finatasy 7, especially if I don't know the characters in the fandom._

_Warning – This chapter contains a moment of sexual weakness ;o) Not very detailed though._

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Chapter 18

**Somewhere in the Middle of Nowhere – the present**

Days passed. I began to lose track of time.

What were these cannibals waiting for? Why hadn't they killed us yet? Were we not fattened enough for their liking? If that's what they were waiting for, then they'd be waiting a long time. Neither Cloud or I had ever had a weight problem. We were both thin.

During the days that passed, Cloud became extremely guarded toward me. Anytime anyone came near the cage, he'd immediately crouch in front of where I sat on the ground. He'd stare menacingly at whoever approached.

I tried to get him to talk, but he remained silent, almost as if he had lost the ability to speak. It was starting to get on my nerves.

Every day one of the natives would bring food and a gourd. The first time it happened, I went to check it out and discovered the gourd was full of a blood-red liquid. I left it alone. Days ago Cloud wouldn't touch the stuff either, but as time passed, he was getting the shakes, as if he was going through withdrawals. Now he couldn't wait for them to bring the liquid to him.

The oddest behavior he exhibited was when instead of using the designated corner pit to relieve himself, he shamelessly urinated around the edges of the cage, as if he was marking his territory. I yelled at him to stop, but he wasn't even listening to me.

He paced and paced…endlessly…staring out into the darkness, seeing things I couldn't see, hearing things I couldn't hear. I was certain he slept on his feet as they carried him back and forth along the bars, like some caged animal waiting for the right moment to strike…waiting for his freedom.

Occasionally I saw the dark, ominous expression in his eyes and it made me shiver. I wondered if he was slowly losing his mind. All the things he had been subjected to throughout his life…and now this.

I started to fear him and was thankful he kept his distance from me most of the time.

One rainy night I just couldn't take it any longer…the constant pacing.

"Cloud, will you please stop?" I timidly asked, afraid to speak any louder and possibly angering him.

His eyes darted in my direction, but he made no move to stop pacing.

"Why can't you just sit down?"

He pushed the wet hair out of his eyes and looked away…and kept pacing.

I stood up with a frustrated growl and moved as far away from him as I could in the cage. As the rain came down, I let it wash over me. Modesty was no longer a luxury in this bamboo cage. I had abandoned my panties days ago because it was just easier without them. My tank top and miniskirt were getting worn from the abuse of the rain and lying on the straw covered ground, but I wasn't about to walk around naked in front of the natives. Or in front of _him_.

As I washed myself in the rain, something caught my eye at the other end of the cage. I looked and noticed Cloud had stopped pacing for only a second, his glowing eyes turned in my direction. Then he started moving again, his eyes not leaving me.

I stared back at him, wondering if I was doing something to upset him? All I was doing was washing myself in the rain. It wasn't anything new. I did it every day.

Just then Cloud shifted direction and moved toward me, a determined look on his face.

I immediately backed away, afraid he'd suddenly get physically violent with me, something I had feared in the last few days. He came up to me just as my back touched the bamboo bars. I grunted in surprise as he began rubbing his face against mine. The fear crept into my soul. What was he going to do? The heat emanating from him was scorching.

Finally his mouth found mine and he kissed me. He started out gentle and quickly became more desperate.

At first I tried to push him away, wondering if he knew what he was doing. But he ignored my protests and hungrily demanded my surrender, easily overpowering me. I could have fought harder against him, but my knees grew weak…my entire body grew weak. I was overwhelmed by my rampant emotions. I wanted him, but I couldn't stop the fear. He wasn't himself. He was acting like some wild animal.

Somehow or another I ended up with my back on the ground. He started at my neck, kissing and licking and nipping at my skin. As he moved down, he uncovered me along the way.

I moaned softly as his hands touched me in all the right places. It had been so long since he had touched me this way…or in any way.

When he had his fill with his hands and mouth, he pushed his boxers down and finally entered me. His mouth claimed mine just as hungrily as when he started. He grunted with each thrust and his lips moved to the side of my face. "Tifa…" he whispered.

I was momentarily distracted by the fact that he had actually spoken. Or maybe I was just imagining it in my delirium.

He reached for my hands, guiding them up over my head as he rolled his hips harder between my legs.

I had forgotten how incredible sex was. Well, it was incredible with Cloud. I had no one else to compare him to.

Cloud lifted his weight off me and pulled me up by the hands until we were sitting up and I was straddling his lap.

I let out a blissful cry, shivering from the sensations I hadn't felt in so long.

And then I suddenly remembered we weren't alone. There was always one or two natives sitting outside the cage, watching every move we made. I slid my arms around Cloud's neck as he set a new pace and I looked over his shoulder. Sure enough, the cannibal's eyes were on us. "Cloud, he's watching…"

Cloud didn't care. He didn't stop. I didn't want him to stop.

I closed my eyes, blocking out everything accept him. When I reached my climax, I buried my face against his neck to muffle the sounds coming from my throat.

Seconds later he reached his own release and had no qualms about voicing his pleasure. I could swear it echoed through the whole village.

Our arms remained locked around each other for a few minutes after it was over, the rain continuously pelting us from above.

When his arms loosened, I slid off Cloud's lap, adjusting my miniskirt along the way. He adjusted his boxers and surprised me by lying down next to me. Was he done pacing? He pulled me closer to him and possessively wrapped a leg around both of mine.

I snuggled against his bare chest, seeking shelter from the rain, as well as the comfort in his familiar scent. There wasn't anything to fear. Even if he wasn't himself, deep down inside I knew he wouldn't hurt me.

Or maybe he was coming around…back to his normal self.

I could only hope.

In the morning, the sun was shining brightly, casting scattered spots of light all around where it found its way through the leaves.

Despite the fact that Cloud and I were still at the mercy of a village of cannibals, I couldn't help but feel a sense of accomplishment. It had a lot to do with the intimate moment we shared the night before. How long had it been? Since the night under the Highwind before Cloud finally defeated Sephiroth in the crater.

That was over two years ago. I could never truly understand why it stopped…Cloud offered no explanation. For the longest time I believed I had only been an avenue for him to blow off steam through sex. And maybe it was true according to his reasoning the other day when he spilled his guts about everything. He confessed to having taken advantage of me. Well, deep down inside I felt as if I had taken advantage of him, as well. Both of us had desperately needed that intimacy back then.

But why did it stop?

I looked up to where Cloud was pacing along the bars again. Since I knew I wasn't going to get him to stop, I decided to get up and march beside him.

For the next few minutes, I walked alongside him as he paced. His face was turned the opposite direction, his attention focused on the activity outside of the cage. After awhile I began to realize he was more focused on the hut with the white smoke coming out of the bamboo pipe.

Another few minutes passed and Cloud froze so abruptly that I had taken two extra steps before realizing he had stopped walking.

His brows were furrowed in anger as he looked at me. "What're you doing?"

Aha! He could talk! I knew it!

I shrugged. "Just getting some exercise. I figured if I can't stop you from pacing, then I might as well join you." I laughed alittle.

He didn't look amused and immediately started walking again.

I rushed to catch up to him and when he glared at me, I thought it was probably in my best interest not to irritate him. So I stopped and leaned against the bamboo bars. A quick glance over my shoulder revealed one of the natives sitting on the ground, watching us as usual. I turned back to Cloud and sighed. "Can I ask you something?"

He didn't respond as he passed me.

"What happened after we settled in Edge? Why did it stop?"

He passed me again, going the other way, and gave me a confused look. Like he didn't understand what I was asking.

"Why did we stop sleeping together?"

On his way back, he paused in front of me. "I already told you." He walked on.

"Actually, no, Cloud. You didn't."

"I did, Tifa. I said I didn't think you wanted me that way anymore."

"I don't understand what made you feel that way? What did I do to give you that impression?"

"It's not what you did."

"Was it something I said?"

He paused his steps briefly before resuming. Now he wasn't looking at me again.

It was something I said. But what? What could I have said to make him stop coming to me? I would have remembered if it had been significant. Or maybe it had only been significant to Cloud. "What did I say to you, Cloud? Please tell me."

"You didn't say it to me. I overheard you talking to Shera."

"Shera?" She was Cid's wife. I went into the vault of my memories, trying to recall every conversation I had had with her. There hadn't been very many. And suddenly I remembered in vivid detail…every word spoken.

"_Cid asked me to marry him," Shera confessed to me._

"_Oh, Shera, that's wonderful."_

"_What about you?"_

"_What about me?"_

"_I'm sure Cloud will be proposing to you soon."_

"_Cloud? Oh no. I doubt it."_

"_Why? I thought the two of you were close?"_

"_It's not like that between me and Cloud. We're just really good friends."_

"_Well, you could have fooled me."_

_I laughed. "Besides, I could never marry someone like him. He's too messed up and too reckless. I want someone more stable."_

I didn't know why I said that to Shera. I just didn't want her to think there was anything going on between Cloud and I because I wasn't sure whether Cloud wanted anyone else to know yet. Too messed up and too reckless? I couldn't believe I said it and I couldn't believe Cloud overheard me saying it. "So I guess it's all my fault then. You know I didn't really mean what I said to her."

"I know now. I didn't know it back then. I was really hurt."

I stepped into his path, forcing him to stop and I slid my arms around him. "I'm so sorry, Cloud. Why didn't you say something?"

He accepted my hug. "I didn't want to start a fight with you and give you a reason to throw me out. I wanted to be with you, in whatever capacity you allowed me to be."

My heart clenched painfully. How could I have been so selfish in the last couple of years, thinking he was to blame when it was all my fault? I couldn't imagine how hurt he was by what I said. I thought back at all the times I caught him looking at me with longing in his eyes before he walked away. I just thought I was seeing things. And all that time he thought I didn't want him.

"I'm sorry," I repeated, drawing back alittle and kissing his face. "Please forgive me."

"I forgive you, Tifa. I'll always forgive you."

"You should have just grabbed me and kissed me, just like this." I kissed him hard, not caring that there was a cannibal watching us.

"I was afraid you'd reject me," he mumbled between kisses.

Then suddenly Cloud abruptly pulled away from me.

_Now what?_ I thought to myself with a sigh.

I turned to find Cloud standing in front of the bars. He was following the movement of someone who had just stepped out of the hut with the white smoke.

As I moved to the bars, I suddenly realized that I recognized the man…I recognized the white lab coat…recognized the walk, hands clasped behind his back.

It was Professor Hojo…

**

* * *

**

NORTHERN CRATER – the past

When we reached the bottom of the crater, we came across several people wearing black cloaks. I remembered seeing them in Nibelheim, too, but didn't really pay much attention because everything else in town was fake.

One of them mumbled something incoherent. "B…back…to Sephir…back to…"

Cloud reached out to touch the person, to get their attention. He quickly jumped back when the figure suddenly vanished.

Barret nudged Cloud's shoulder. "C'mon, let's keep movin'."

We walked through an area where tall stalagmites poked upward through a dense fog. There were certain areas we had to jumped down from ledge to ledge.

A high wind blew through a valley and tried to knock us off a treacherous path. Luckily we all made it across without falling to our deaths down the hundred foot drop.

On the other side of the path we saw a strange sight. Dozens of people in black cloaks were weeding their way forward, in single file. We followed them to what looked like a dead end.

And then we saw him. Sephiroth.

"This is the end...for all of you," he said as he swung his sword and knocked the black cloaked people down into the chasm.

"Sephiroth!!" Cloud yelled as he rushed forward.

Cid followed behind him. "This is the end for you!"

"This is the end of this body's usefulness," Sephiroth said before he vanished.

Cloud stopped in his tracks. "He disappeared again!"

I walked up beside Cloud. "He might still be nearby."

"Our purpose is to deliver the Black Materia to our master." None of us had spoken. The voice seemed to come from all around us.

"What's goin' on?" Cid asked, tossing his half smoked cigarette on the ground and raising his harpoon.

"Those who carry Jenova's cells..."

Cloud looked around in confusion. "Master...!?"

The voice laughed. "Sephiroth, of course."

Just then a large creature appeared. We raised our weapons and caste every summon spell we had. Neo Bahamut, Alexander and Kjata. When that didn't bring the creature down, we caste Ice, Fire and Comet. In the end, it was Cloud's constant use of his mastered Bolt that defeated it.

As we all breathed a sigh of relief, Cloud took several steps forward. "Jenova's cells...so that's what this is all about. The Jenova Reunion..."

"What're you saying, Cloud?" I asked. "All this time it wasn't Sephiroth responsible for everything?"

"Sephiroth is still responsible. I have to beat him."

"But what else is here?"

"Something…it's releasing a powerfully strong will from deep within this planet's wound." Cloud picked up the Black Materia Sephiroth had dropped after he released the creature we had just defeated. "The Black Materia is back in our hands. Now all we have to do is defeat Sephiroth and that'll be the end of it."

I touched Cloud's arm. "Maybe you should give the Black Materia to someone else to hold on to."

Cloud nodded in agreement and walked toward Barret, holding the Black Materia out to him.

"Damn, man! Why do I have to be responsible?"

"Don't give it to _anyone_. I'm counting on you."

"Let's go find Sephiroth," I said, tugging on Cloud's arm.

"Who wants to go in first with us while the rest stay here and keep watch?"

Cid lit another cigarette. "Guess it's my turn to play hero."

The three of us moved ahead through another narrow path.

Suddenly everything went white.

"What's going on?" I asked.

"Calm down, Tifa," said Cloud. "Sephiroth is near. Anything could happen."

The light faded and we were suddenly standing in front of the main entrance of Nibelheim.

Cid looked a bit freaked. "What the hell's this!?"

Cloud glanced around. "It's gotta be an illusion. Sephiroth is trying to confuse us. Let's keep going."

"You're right... Look!" I exclaimed as four figures appeared ahead of us. It was Sephiroth, Zack fair and two Shinra guards.

"All right, let's go," said the illusionary Sephiroth.

Cid turned to Cloud. "I thought you said you were there." He pointed to Zack. "That ain't you, man!"

Cloud looked confused.

The illusionary Sephiroth started to laugh maniacally before all of them disappeared from the courtyard.

"Cloud, it's just an illusion," I assured. "Don't worry about it."

Another illusion suddenly appeared. We were in the center of town and all of the buildings around us were on fire.

Cloud looked around "This is what actually happened five years ago. But...it probably won't be me coming out of the Shinra mansion. He's going to try and show us another stupid illusion."

Zack came bounding out of the mansion.

"See? I knew it."

I watched wide-eyed as the scene unfolded.

Professor Zangan turned to Zack. "Hey it's you! You're still sane, right? Then come over here and help me!"

I moved closer to Cloud. "I don't want to watch this. Cloud...don't watch."

"I'll check this house." Zangan pointed to another house. "You check that one over there!"

Cloud's eyes drifted to me. "What's wrong, Tifa? This is all an illusion. There's no need to be scared."

Cid walked over to someone lying on the ground. "Hey! Hey you! You alright!?" The illusionary person didn't respond. "Damn! This is all made up."

Cloud moved away from me and looked up. "Sephiroth! I know you're listening! I know what you're trying to do! You want me to think I wasn't in Nibelheim five years ago. That's it, isn't it?"

Sephiroth's laughter echoed around us just before he appeared. "I see you finally understand."

"You're just trying to confuse me! Showing me these things won't matter. I remember it all. The heat of the fire... the pain in my body... and in my heart!"

"Oh, is that so? You're just a puppet. You have no heart and cannot feel any pain. How can there be any meaning in the memory of such a being? What I have shown you is reality. What you remember, that's an illusion."

Cloud was furious. "Why...why are you doing this?"

Sephiroth laughed. "I want to take you back to your real self. The one who gave me the Black Materia that day. Who would have ever thought a failed experiment would prove so useful? Hojo would die if he knew."

"Hojo!? What does he have to do with me!?"

"Five years ago you were...constructed by Hojo, piece by piece, right after Nibelheim was burnt. A puppet made up of vibrant Jenova cells, her knowledge and the power of Mako. An incomplete clone of myself. Not even given a number." He glared at Cloud. "That's your reality."

"No, Cloud," I yelled. "Don't listen to him! Close your ears! Close your eyes!"

Cloud looked over his shoulder at me. "I'm not affected by anything he's telling me." But I knew it wasn't true.

"All that talk of Hojo constructing you is a lie. Don't we have our memories together? Growing up together?"

Sephiroth laughed again. "Tifa, why are you so worried and scared by my words? Hmm...Shall I show everyone here what's in your heart?"

Cloud walked toward me and I stared fearfully at him. "What's going on?"

"Cloud..." I started out, but couldn't say anything more.

"Why are you so scared? Don't worry about me. I'm all right. No matter how confused I am, I'll never believe a word he says. It's true sometimes I can't figure out who I am. There's a lot of stuff mixed up in my head. But, Tifa, when you found me at the train station in Midgar, you knew me. I'm the one you grew up with. I'm Cloud and I returned to Nibelheim five years ago." When I didn't say anything, his expression grew concerned. "What? Am I not the same Cloud you grew up with?"

Yes, he was the same Cloud, but he had not been the one that came to Nibelheim five years ago. "Please don't make me say it, Cloud."

"Cloud, don't blame Tifa," said Sephiroth. "The ability to change one's looks, voice, and words, is the power of Jenova. Inside of you, Jenova has merged with Tifa's memories, creating you. Out of Tifa's memory. A boy named Cloud might've just been a part of them."

"You're wrong!" I yelled at Sephiroth.

Sephiroth laughed. "Think, Cloud. Cloud?" He continued to laugh. "Oh, that's right. You never had a name..."

Cloud frowned at Sephiroth. "Shut up!"

"I see you still don't understand. Do you remember the picture we took before we headed for Mt Nibel? Tifa, you remember, right? But there's no way he would know. Now, what happened to that picture?" Sephiroth pulled something out of a pocket and tossed it toward us. "Is this it?"

The photo drifted and landed at Cloud's feet.

"Cloud...don't..."

But Cloud didn't listen to me. He picked up the picture. "I...should be in the picture. Tommy took it." He looked at the photo.

I already know Cloud wasn't in the photo. It was Sephiroth, Zack and me.

Cloud crushed the photo in his fist in anger. "This picture's a fake. The truth is in my memory. Five years ago, I came back to Nibelheim to inspect the reactor. I was sixteen. The town hadn't changed at all. Tifa led us to the reactor in Mt Nibel. I was excited about it because it was my first mission after becoming a First Class SOLDIER." A frown formed on his face and he looked down. "SOLDIER, First Class?...SOLDIER?" He shook his head in confusion. "When did I enter the SOLDIER academy?" He reached up to hold his head. "How did I join SOLDIER? Why…why can't I remember? I'm...I'm...That's right...I didn't have to worry about it, because I was..."

The area suddenly darkened.

"Cloud?" I called. "Cid?"

As the light returned, I found myself in a cavern. I could hear voices on the other side of some stalagmites.

"Wow, this is amazing!"

I peeked around to see who the voice belonged to. Scarlet. She was standing beside Rufus Shinra.

"It's all materia?" she asked as she pointed up to the ceiling at a strange stone structure that branched out on every side.

"The outside is rich with Mako energy," said Rufus. "The inside is a treasure trove of materia. This truly is the Promised Land."

"There is no such thing as the Promised Land." Hojo walked into the chamber, his hands clasped behind his back. "It's an utterly ridiculous legend."

Shinra turned to Hojo. "Everything's exactly as I imagined it to be. Isn't it splendid?"

Just then the cavern began to tremble and the stone walls crumbled.

"What's happening?" Rufus asked no one in particular.

Scarlet pointed to the far wall. "It's coming from within the wall there! Something's in there! It's moving!"

I shifted my position behind the stalagmite, trying to get a better look at what she was talking about. My jaw dropped when I thought I saw a giant eye blink several times against the wall. Was I seeing things?

"Weapon…" whispered Hojo. "It really does exist. I never believed it…"

"What're you talking about, old man?" asked Rufus.

"Weapon. Monsters created by the planet. They appear whenever the planet is in danger, reducing everything to nothingness. That's what Professor Gast said in his report."

"I never saw that report. Where is it?"

Hojo chuckled and pointed to his head. "Here, right here."

"You keep a lot of things to yourself."

The cavern trembled again.

Scarlet looked around nervously. "Mr. President, I've got a bad feeling about this place."

"Hmm...maybe we should go back to the ship. We need to prepare for the inspection anyway."

The room darkened and when the light returned, Cloud was suddenly among them.

Scarlet gasped. "Hey! Where did you come from?"

Cloud looked up. "…don't know...This place is gonna get rough. Better leave things to me and get out of here while you still can."

Rufus moved toward him. "Leave what things to you?"

"This is where the Reunion is taking place. Where everything begins and ends."

I ran out from behind the stalagmite. "Cloud!"

Barret suddenly charged in. "Hey, Cloud! I'm here!"

Cloud turned to him. "Thanks, Barret. Where's the Black Materia?"

"Cloud!" I yelled again, but he didn't seem to hear me.

"It's safe," Barret said, patting a pocket on his shirt. "I have it."

Cloud held out his hand. "I'll take it from here. Give me the Black Materia."

I rushed forward. "Doesn't anyone hear me?"

Barret looked at him momentarily. "You alright then? Tifa said you were in trouble and needed my help."

I froze in my tracks. When had I talked to Barret and told him that?

Barret pulled the Black Materia out of his pocket and handed it to Cloud. "Too much pressure holding this thing."

"No!" I yelled. "Don't!"

"Thanks. Leave the rest to me." Cloud looked at everyone. "I'm sorry," he said to Rufus. Then he turned toward Barret. "...Sorry." Finally his gaze landed on me. "Especially you, Tifa. I'm really sorry. You've been so good to me...I don't know what to say...I never lived up to being 'Cloud'. Maybe one day you'll meet him for real."

Hojo chuckled. "This is perfect! It means that my experiment was a complete success. What number are you? Where's your tattoo?"

"Professor Hojo...I don't have a number. You didn't give me one because you said I was a failed experiment."

"What? You mean out of all my experiments, only a failure made it here?"

"Please, Professor...give me a number. Please..."

"Shut up, you miserable failure!"

Cloud suddenly levitated up in the air for several seconds before disappearing into the stone structure above.

I moved closer to Barret, not understanding any of what was happening. Why had Cloud said those things? What was going on?

"Who was that?" Rufus asked Hojo.

"He's a Sephiroth clone I created after the real Sephiroth died five years ago. Jenova cells and Mako, with my knowledge and skills, have been combined with science and nature to bring him to life. I'm not wild about the failure part, but the Jenova Reunion Theory has now been proven. You see, even if Jenova's body is dismembered, it will eventually become one again. That's what is meant by Jenova's Reunion. Five years have passed and now all the clones I created have began to return. Being the genius that I am, I soon figured it out. You see it was all Sephiroth's doing. Sephiroth is not just content to diffuse his will into the Lifestream. He wants to also manipulate the clones."

I glared up at the stone structure and saw Cloud mumbling to himself.

"Yes, that's how it got started."

"I wondered where the clones were going," Hojo went on. "But I was never able to figure it out until now."

I gasped when I saw Cloud standing up. But he was upside down, defying gravity.

"I couldn't figure it out, either," he mumbled.

"The one thing that I did know was that Sephiroth was at their final destination."

Cloud shook his head in confusion, still talking to himself. "I wasn't pursuing Sephiroth. I was being summoned by him. All the anger and hatred I felt for him made it impossible for me to ever forget him. I'm here, Sephiroth and I brought you the Black Materia. Show yourself to me. Where are you?"

The structure on the ceiling cracked and something dropped from it, lodging onto some of the branches.

Hojo gasped. "Do you see that?! It's Sephiroth! This is perfect! The reunion between Sephiroth and Jenova." He laughed.

I glared angrily at him. "What're you so happy about? You know what this means? Cloud has the Black Materia! Sephiroth is going to summon Meteor! Every single person is going to die!"

Rufus moved toward the cavern's exit. "Whatever I say is too little...too late...We must evacuate. I want you all to come with me. There is still much more I want to hear."

Barret looked up. "Yo! Cloud! Knock it off!"

"Cloud!" I yelled and stared in shock as he handed the Black Materia to Sephiroth…for the second time.

The structure began to crumble and pieces fell around us.

Barret grabbed me and carried me out, following the others.

We climbed a ladder up to an airship. Just as the ship began to move away, the ground inside the crater erupted outward. Several giant creatures were released.

I stared in shock as one of them turned to the airship and fired something from its chest. The blast hit the side of the airship, bouncing it around. I lost my balance and my forehead struck the reiling.

_

* * *

_

The present – He's back! That stupid professor!

_The past – Hmm, so was Cloud really just Hojo's creation? (anyone that didn't play the game will be surprised to know the truth)_

_Please leave feedback. Thanks._


	19. Chapter 19

_Author's Note – Okay, here's where it gets funky. Hopefully none of you predicted what's going to happen in the present. Just keep in mind, there's a method to my madness._

**

* * *

**

Chapter 19

**Somewhere in the Middle of Nowhere – the present**

Professor Hojo stopped about six feet away from the cage, almost as if he was afraid to come any closer.

"I thought we killed you two years ago," I shouted through the bars.

Hojo grinned. "Yes, but you failed to make certain I was dead."

I had a million questions. "What're you doing here? Why're you living in this cannibal village? What're you going to do with us?"

He laughed in his annoying manner, that cackling chicken laugh.

Cloud put a hand on my arm, silently telling me to keep quiet. He glared at Hojo. "What do you want?"

"You've managed to kill the great Sephiroth three times now, by my count. I am so proud. My failed experiment turned out to be not such a failure after all."

"You didn't make me, Hojo. I know the truth about my existence and where I came from."

Hojo rubbed his chin. "Yes, you're right. I didn't make you. But you must admit, I had great influence on many critical moments in your life."

"Why don't you come alittle closer? Afraid I might…hurt…you?"

The ex-Shinra scientist wagged a finger at Cloud. "Now, now. I know you're probably a teensy weensy bit upset."

"You have no idea."

"Imagine my surprise when these people…" he waved his hand at the village around him. "…brought you here. It was like a gift from the heavens. I never would have thought you would end up falling right on my doorstep."

Three powerful looking natives strolled closer and stood beside their companion who had been on guard since the night before. In the daylight, these cannibals were frightening, with their mud-caked faces and things pierced into their noses.

Hojo noticed me staring at them. "I prevented them from eating you, by the way, so you should thank me for that."

"What prevented them from eating _you_?" Cloud asked.

Hojo walked across to where the natives were standing and they immediately cowered and looked down. "They believe me to be some sort of God. I can make magic and they fear it."

Too bad I didn't have any materia on me, I would have made some magic and sent a bolt of lightning down on Hojo's head.

Cloud didn't look impressed by his demonstration of reverence. "So what's next? If these cannibals aren't going to have us for dinner, then what's your plan?"

"It's quite ingenious, really. I see you've been drinking the exogenous antigen."

Both Cloud and I glanced toward the gourd near the cage door. It was empty. Cloud drank it the night before.

Exogenous antigen? I had no idea what that was. But it sounded just as bad as the blood-red stuff looked.

Hojo smiled. "Are you feeling a bit shaky right now?"

If Cloud was feeling symptoms of withdrawal then he was hiding them well. In the last few days, he would shiver and groan almost painfully until he drank the liquid from the gourd the natives brought.

Cloud shook his head.

"Good, good. That's exactly what I've been waiting for."

"What're you getting at, Hojo? What was in that stuff I drank?"

Hojo seemed to be studying Cloud with curiosity.

"What did you do to me this time?"

"Haven't you done enough to him?" I shouted.

"Are you feeling angry?" Hojo asked Cloud.

"Damn right, I am!"

"No, apparently not angry enough," he mumbled to himself, disappointed about something. His eyes shifted from Cloud to me. Then he brightened and turned to the natives, pointing a finger in my direction.

I couldn't help but think that something bad was about to happen. Cloud obviously sensed it too because he instinctly pulled me behind him and backed me into the corner of the cage, my back pressed against the bamboo bars.

The three warrior-looking cannibals opened the gate and entered, their spears held up and ready. One of them had a peashooter armed with a dart. Two of them moved off to one side while the third went the opposite direction.

Cloud focused his attention on the two. Without warning, he suddenly lunged at them. He swiped at the spears and crashed into both natives. While one collapsed on the ground, he had the other pinned against the bamboo bars.

I watched in stunned silence as he suddenly sank his teeth into the side of the struggling native's throat. What in the world…? I had never seen him do that to an enemy. The sight of blood spraying out from the wound brought on a wave of nausea and it normally took a lot of gore to make me sick, given all the battles I'd fought in the past.

Someone grabbed my arm. It was the third native. I swung my foot around and struck him in the face. He recovered quickly and slammed the side of his spear at the back of my head.

A jolt of pain seized me and I fell forward on my hands and knees. Then he grabbed me by the hair and started dragging me across the ground.

"Cloud…" I managed to spit out, fighting against the blackness threatening to consume me.

Cloud whirled around and as he tried to reach me, the remaining native jabbed his spear at Cloud's shoulder, sending him back.

As soon as I was dragged out of the cage, another native quickly closed the gate.

Cloud frantically lunged at the bamboo bars, trying to break them. He moved parallel along the bars as the native continued to drag me on the ground by the hair. Cloud tried to bend the bamboo, kicked at it with his feet. All the while his eyes were locked on me…a totally panicked, irrational and lethal look in them.

The native released me at Hojo's feet and kicked me in the stomach.

Cloud let out a furious growl. "Tifa!"

The native kicked me again.

Hojo chuckled. "Excellent!"

I gasped for air and rolled onto my back, hoping the native was done beating on me. Then I felt a pain on my hand. When I turned to look, Hojo was stepping on it.

"Let her go!!"

The thought of pain left me at the sound of Cloud's voice. It sounded strange…like it didn't belong to him.

I turned in his direction and he cried out again.

And then something happened…something horrible…like a nightmare. Cloud's face began to contort. At first I thought my eyes were playing tricks on me. Then I gasped in surprise as golden hair, speckled with black began rapidly growing all over him. He looked down at his hands in surprise and backed away from the bars. He let out a pain-filled cry, dropping to his knees and holding his deformed hands up. They continued to contort and rapidly cover with hair.

The sound of crackling bones filled the air and I watched in horror as he changed all over.

I couldn't breathe, my eyes filling with tears. What the hell was happening to him?

Cloud continued howling in pain as he dropped down on all fours. His spine rippled and bent as the golden hair grew rapidly over his back. His legs changed shape, his heels lengthening weirdly. His jaw lengthened and through his open mouth his teeth grew sharp.

This wasn't real. It couldn't be happening.

When the transformation was complete, the creature inside the cage was an abnormally large spotted jungle cat. A panther…No, a leopard. It bared its teeth ferociously and hissed at those staring outside the cage. Then it stuck its sharp-clawed paw through the bars in an attempt to snag anything within its reach.

The native that Cloud assaulted earlier was still alive and slowly started edging his way toward the gate. The leopard caught the movement and attacked the native, dragging him down to the ground. The native screamed hysterically as the leopard ripped his arm off first, then chewed at his leg. The creature was extremely aggressive, almost toying with him before it slashed razor sharp claws across his face. Seconds later, the native was dead.

When I tried to back away, Hojo grabbed me by the arm. I couldn't pull away, I felt so weak from the blow to the back of my head.

The leopard inside the cage saw me struggling and lunged at the bamboo bars. It slammed its body into them over and over, trying to break through, roaring furiously. The sound echoed loudly, scattering every bird in the area. The leopard tried to climb onto the bars only to fall back down. It roared and hissed and bared its teeth in my direction. Its eyes locked onto mine and I realized they were blue.

For a few seconds I had forgotten what had happened. It was Cloud. The realization hit me slowly as I stared at the psychotic leopard trying to break out of the bamboo cage.

My vision fogged up and a loud buzzing filled my ears. I knew I was about to pass out and I welcomed the blackness.

"_The ability to change one's looks, voice, and words, is the power of Jenova," Sephiroth's voice echoed in my head._

_Then I heard Cloud. "There's something inside of me. A person who is not really me. That's why I should quit this journey. Before I do something terrible."_

The blackness didn't last long. Something pungent filled my nostrils and I quickly came awake from the smelling salts held under my nose.

"Well, this is a disappointment," Hojo suddenly said.

I looked up at him and tried to sit up, but the native kicked me down.

"I expected a Bandersnatch or a Zolom. But not this again! Another damned leopard!" Hojo dismissed Cloud with a wave of his hands. "Put the girl back in the cage," he said in disgust before walking away.

"What?! Wait! No!" I didn't want to go in the cage with that crazy leopard.

The native dragged me to my feet and pulled me in the direction of the cage. I struggled with him, but didn't have the strength to do much else except try to pull away.

The leopard roared furiously, sticking its paw through the bars to grab at the legs of the native pulling me. It followed us along the bars.

I looked up and saw several other natives opening the gate. The leopard shifted to those that were trying to enter. The native holding me pushed me to the ground roughly. The leopard turned back to us and hissed menacingly. It seemed torn between what was happening to me and those entering the cage to drag out the dead native. My face was pushed into the dirt, drawing the leopard's full attention.

Finally when they pulled the dead native out, the one holding me dragged me to the gate and tossed me inside. They closed the gate behind me.

I jumped to the gate and shook it hard. "Let me out of here! Please, let me out!"

My actions drew the leopard's attention and it came at me. I screamed and stumbled backward, covering my head with my arms. The leopard attacked the gate, forcing the natives to back away from it. It roared loudly, making me cringe in fear. I scrambled backward until I reached the corner, watching the leopard pacing back and forth in front of the gate. When it turned its head in my direction, I started wailing in terror as it approached me.

I closed my eyes, praying that it would kill me quickly and not torture me the way it tortured the native earlier. Its whiskers grazed over my thigh as it sniffed me. Then it started to lick me with its rough tongue, starting with my knee and up my arm to my shoulder.

I was afraid to open my eyes because I was terrified that it would suddenly change its mind and think I was good enough to eat after all. It licked my face, then shifted to lick the side of my neck at great length. I slowly opened my eyes.

The leopard's massive head was close to mine, continuing its thorough cleansing of me.

My eyes shifted to the bars, where the natives slowly began to dissipate, leaving one on guard. Like the show was over and it was time to go home.

Exhaustion consumed me and I lost consciousness again.

When I woke again, it was dark. There was a weight on my legs. When I looked down, the leopard was lying sprawled across them, sound asleep.

I tried to move slowly so it wouldn't wake up. As I sat up, I stared wide-eyed at the creature, remembering what happened earlier in the day. Had Cloud actually shapeshifted into this beast? Or did I only imagine bits and pieces in my delirium?

The night was quiet again, except for the usual chirping of the cicadas.

The hoot of an owl woke the leopard. It raised its head and then stood up entirely, looking at me with incredibly blue eyes that couldn't possibly belong to it.

"Cloud?" I whispered.

It moved closer, rubbing his head against my face, nearly knocking me over. It apparently didn't know its own strength. An overwhelming desire to stroke its fur slowly forced my hand to touch its neck. Its fur was thick and velvety soft, the same color as Cloud's hair with the exception of the black rosettes scattered around. I ran my fingers through it, still frightened out of my wits, but thrilled at the prospect of touching such an incredible animal.

"Cloud…is it really you?"

Incandescent blue eyes stared back at me. There was recognition in them. He huffed and panted for several seconds before he laid his huge body across my lap, rolling and offering his belly.

Tears filled my eyes as I stroked his fur with both hands. "What did he do to you?"

Cloud raised a giant paw and rested it on my face in a playful manner, almost as if to say he was all right.

Would he be trapped in this leopard body forever? Or was this temporary? My heart ached at the possibility of this being permanent.

A rumbling sound came from his throat, like a deep purring, as I ran my hands over him. This big cat that had earlier exhibited a ferocity I had never witnessed in any animal before, was Cloud. My Cloud…

I bent forward and buried my face in the thick fur of his neck as I sobbed uncontrollably. What were we going to do? How were we ever going to get out of this?

**

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JUNON – the past

I woke to find myself lying on a metal table in a lab. I immediately hopped off and rubbed my aching head as I walked to the window. We were in Junon. I recognized the gigantic cannon aimed toward the sea.

I spotted Barret sitting on a chair nearby. He looked to be asleep.

"Barret…"

He jolted awake and was on his feet. "Huh? Tifa…You've been asleep for a long time."

"I'm...hungry..."

"I'll get you some food." He started walking toward the door.

"Barret?"

He stopped in his tracks and turned around. "Don't know what happened to Cloud." He had anticipated my question. "Guess I shouldn't tell you not to worry. Nobody knows if he's all right. Don't know what happened to the others neither."

I rubbed my head again, still feeling the pain. "What about…what about Sephiroth?"

"Remember that huge light in the Northern Cave? Since then, the crater's been surrounded by a huge barrier of light. We saw Sephiroth asleep in that big hole, protected by the barrier. We can't do a damn thing about it. We just gonna wait till he wakes up. An' on toppa that, some huge monster called Weapon has been on a rampage."

"Weapon?"

"It was the one that blasted the ship. They say it's some legendary monster from the past. He's been goin' around tearin' shit up. Shinra's men have been fightin' it."

I was devastated that no one knew what happened to Cloud. How many times would I have to suffer thinking he was dead? Time…? How much time had passed? "How long have I been out?"

"Seven days…" Barret pointed out of another window. "Sephiroth used the Black Materia."

I walked over to the other window. In the sky was a gigantic ball of rock. Meteor. It seemed frozen in orbit, but I knew better. It was tumbling toward the planet. "Are we giving up now?"

"Dunno."

The door opened and Rufus Shinra walked in. "I thought for certain Cloud would show up to save you all. Professor Hojo was hoping to talk to him a bit more."

"What're we going to do now?" I asked Shinra.

"Meteor has been summoned. Essentially, it's all but over now. So, I don't have a need for you any longer."

Heidegger walked in. "Mr President! Preparations for the public execution are complete." He grinned in our direction.

"Execution!?" Barret shouted. "What're ya gonna get by executin' us?"

Rufus glanced down at his nails. "You are to be executed for causing this situation. People are ignorant. They'll feel better as long as someone is punished."

"I take back what little praise I had for this damn jackass!"

"Well, enjoy your last moments together."

Rufus walked out and several guards rushed in carrying handcuffs.

An hour later, Barret and I were escorted in handcuffs into a large room with more than a dozen people sitting in chairs lined up in rows.

Scarlet was standing on the other side of the room where the guards were leading us. She pointed at us. "These are the ones responsible for bringing this madness into the world!"

Barret glared at her. "The hell are these people?"

"We will be broadcasting your miserable deaths live on national television."

A fat man in the front row cleared his throat. "Scarlet, why a public execution in this day and age?"

"With the chaos resulting from the Meteor reports, we desperately need to rally public support. It's better that we punish somebody, anybody."

"You make me sick!" I spat out.

Scarlet laughed. "No one'll ever admit it, but everyone loves this stuff!" She motioned to the guards. "We'll start with the girl."

Barret tried to jump in front of me, but a dozen guns were cocked and ready to fire at him.

The guards dragged me into another room. It was cramped and had a single seat in the center.

I glared at Scarlet. "What're you doing!?"

"This is my special gas chamber. Take your time and enjoy a slow painful death."

The guards pushed me into the chair and strapped her arms to it.

Scarlet stood in front of me and slapped me hard across the face. She waited for me to react.

I didn't give her the pleasure and she looked annoyed as she walked out, the guards following behind her.

Just then I noticed something shiny on the floor. It was a key!

Suddenly a voice came over a loud speaker. "Emergency! Emergency! Weapon's approaching! Attention all military personnel! Take your positions!"

A loud boom followed, making me wonder if the cannon had been fired.

"Weapon approaching! It's heading right toward us! Speed, 50 Knots!"

The smell of gas reached my nose and I held my breath, trying not to inhale it. I needed to get that key. I stretched my legs out and used my toe to nudge the key closer. Then I squeezed it between my feet, lifting my legs up. Lucky for me I was pretty flexible. I grabbed the key with my teeth and quickly tried it on the locks holding my left wrist to the chair.

It worked!

After unlocking my other wrist, I jumped out of the chair and searched for the buttons to stop the gas flow.

I heard another boom and then something shook the entire building. Pieces of plaster rained down on me and I covered my head to avoid them. When I looked up, there was a hole in the ceiling.

The smell of gas was overwhelming. I needed to get out. I climbed up through the hole and found myself outside. Directly in front of me was the cannon and the gigantic creature known as Weapon was moving closer. The cannon discharged and blew Weapon's head off. The creature's lifeless body fell into the sea with a tremendous splash.

I heard a sound coming from inside the chamber. The door was rattling.

"What'd you do? Hey! Open up!" It was Scarlet.

"First you lock me in here and now you're telling me to come out? Make up your mind!"

There was only one way out of here and that was to crawl down the side of the structure. I got about halfway when Shinra guards appeared both above and below me.

Changing directions, I climbed down on the top of the cannon. There was nowhere left to go. I was trapped.

Surprisingly Scarlet managed to make it down in that absurd red dress with the slit up the side. "Our little game of hide and seek ends here." She moved toward me. "The execution may have been unsuccessful, but your death by falling from here and crashing into the water below still might be pretty exciting."

I took several more steps back.

Scarlet came up and slapped me in the face. "Stuck up to the end!"

I scowled and slapped her back. "Quit slapping me, you old wench!"

She slapped me again and I slapped her right back. It went on for several seconds.

I'd had enough. I clenched my fist and cold cocked her in the face. She went down on her knees.

I looked up and more than a dozen Shinra guards were standing in the path of my escape. Their rifles were aimed at me.

Just then several shots were fired at them.

I spun around to find Shinra's Airship at the end of the cannon. Barret stood at an open door, shooting his gunarm at the Shinra guards.

"C'mon, Tifa!" he yelled.

I ran for the Airship and squeezed my way through the doorway.

By the time I reached the cockpit, the Airship had left Junon and was flying over the sea.

Barret came up beside me and touched my arm. "You okay?"

I touched the side of my face where that stupid woman slapped me half a dozen times. "Yeah."

Cid waved to me from the controls. "Welcome to my new ship, the Highwind." When he didn't see me glad for him, he frowned. "What the hell's wrong!? You should be more excited than that!"

"Do you think we aren't strong enough without Cloud?" asked Red. "Do you think we can't save the Planet alone?"

"Meteor is coming and the Weapons are on the rampage. I don't know what we're supposed to do."

"Well, we can't just give up," said Barret. "There ain't no gettin' offa this train!"

"If Cloud was here, everything would be fine. Cloud would...stand that cocky little way he did and tell us what to do. He'd say, Everything's under control, Tifa." I looked at each of them.

Yuffie looked pale and ready to vomit. Red's tail was whipping from side to side. Barret was holding his gunarm up with the other arm. Cid was smoking a cigarette and casually holding the wheel of the ship with the other. Cait Sith was slumped on the floor nearby. Vincent was standing like a sentinel, always silent, never having much to say.

Cid kicked at a metal box beside him. "I want you to know that I didn't dislike him. Gotta admit he was a strange dude. Just when you thought he was smart, he'd show how stupid he was. Everything about him…from his movements to his strange speeches. Knowin' what I do now, I can see why he was so messed up."

"Maybe he's not dead," I whispered to no one in particular.

"I saw the ground crack and swallow him up," said Barret.

Silence fell across the cockpit, everyone lost in their own thoughts.

"We need a destination," Cid finally broke the silence.

"Mideel," said the normally quiet Vincent.

"Mideel!" Cid snorted. "Why Mideel?"

"The Lifestream sometimes gushes out to the surface from cracks in the ocean floor. It's prevalent in Mideel."

I moved toward Vincent. "You think Cloud fell into the Lifestream."

"It's just a guess."

As I turned to Cid, he held up a hand to shush me. "I'm on it! Mideel it is!"

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Okee dokee. You must think I've lost my mind. Cloud turned into a leopard? Tsk tsk tsk. You have no idea what's ahead.

_I'm sure you'd like to bash me for turning Cloud into an animal. At least it explains his weird behavior from the last chapter. So please leave feedback. Thanks._


	20. Chapter 20

_Author's Note – Heeheehee, I am so glad I've surprised many of you with Cloud's sudden transformation. The reason I went with a leopard instead of let's say a wolf…well, I just like leopards and since they're in a rainforest, a big cat fits the environment more than a wolf. More surprises to come so read on._

_Also, please check out an amazing video created by __**Sannex7**__ on Youtube. It's called __**"Break Me Down"**__ and is based on a previous Cloud/Tifa fic I wrote by the same name. The song she chose by the Goo Goo Dolls fits so perfectly with the theme of the story. You're wonderful Sanne. Hugs and kisses!_

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Chapter 20

**Somewhere in the Middle of Nowhere – the present**

Sometime in the middle of the night, the heat of the leopard disappeared. I opened my eyes and sat up. It was still dark, but I could hear the leopard's labored panting nearby. As my eyes adjusted to the darkness, I saw him sniffing the air near the bars and realized what he was seeing. The cannibal on guard had fallen asleep.

Cloud stalked to the back side of the cage and began clawing at the dirt near the bamboo bars. He was trying to dig a hole with his powerful paws, kicking up mounds of dirt with each swipe.

I immediately rushed over and started digging next to him, although he was doing most of the work. When the hole was deep enough, I squeezed myself under the bars and came out the other side. "Come on, Cloud."

He backed away from the hole and huffed at me. What was he doing?

"No, I'm not leaving without you." I reached down and started pushing more dirt away, making the hole bigger. "Come on."

Finally Cloud squeezed his way through the hole. We both ran for the trees.

The sudden sense of freedom was elating and I ran hard, leaping over anything on the ground. Cloud paced me about ten feet away on my left.

I wasn't sure how long we'd been running but the sky began to lighten when we finally stopped to rest. Cloud approached me and plopped down at my bare feet, panting heavily. I was out of breath, but I was certain he was panting from the heat more than the running.

I reached down and scratched him all over and he stretched in pleasure. I needed to keep reminding myself that this animal was Cloud Strife. My eyes filled with tears again. He stood up and leaned into me, licking the tears from my face. I tried to push him away, but he relentlessly tried to cheer me up.

It finally worked. I stood up and followed him back through the trees.

The days started blending together and there was no sign of any pursuit by the natives, which surprised me. Maybe Hojo had lost interest already. He seemed extremely disappointed when Cloud had turned into a leopard and not a Bandersnatch or Zolom, as he hoped. I didn't understand what the experiment was all about and was frustrated with the possibility of never knowing Hojo's reasoning?

One afternoon we found a lagoon. The water was crystal clear and tasted fresh. I didn't even know leopards liked water until I saw him leap into the lagoon. Or maybe it was just Cloud not knowing the instincts of the animal he had become.

The blue sky above the water was such a welcoming sight, compared to the constant canopy of trees.

We swam in the refreshing water for hours and chased each other along the bank. I almost forgot how to laugh and Cloud's playful antics made me giggle. I couldn't understand why Cloud didn't seem very distressed about his state. Did he even know what happened to him? Did he have any memories of his human life? I imagined he had to have some memories or he would have immediately killed me in the cage.

Later on we napped and dried off in the warm sun.

Deciding to stay until the morning, Cloud and I laid together. The weight of his body half on top of me was comforting and he licked my leg slowly until I drifted off to sleep.

Before dawn came, expecting to feel Cloud's ruffled fur against me, I was surprised to suddenly be feeling skin. I jolted up at the sound of crackling bones. When I turned toward him, he was human again, lying on his side and shivering uncontrollably.

I immediately wrapped myself around him. "Oh God, Cloud…am I glad to see you."

He coughed and cleared his throat before he could speak. "I…I didn't…I didn't know how to change back…or even if I could." After a few minutes he finally stopped shivering. "It just happened all of a sudden. I was thinking about…being back home…walking to the store with you."

I kissed his whole face and hugged him tightly. He had other ideas and we kissed frantically.

After a few minutes, he rested his forehead against mine. "I love you, Tifa. I'll never stop saying it."

"I love you, too." We hugged again and sat together, watching the sun lightening the sky above the lagoon.

In the morning, we continued on through the rainforest again. Luckily I had thought to keep Cloud's boxers. Something had told me to grab them from the ground before we escaped from the cage in the cannibal village. At least he wouldn't have to walk around naked.

"Do you remember what happened to you?" I asked him, breaking the silence.

"Yes."

"What do you remember?"

He turned toward me. "When I started to change, I felt this…this overwhelming desire to kill something. I remember killing that native and I remember wanting to kill those others that were hurting you." He seemed to be waiting for my reaction. "I didn't like them taking you away from me or touching you."

"Did you have any control over yourself?"

"Yeah, I knew what I was doing. I knew who you were and I knew you were scared of me. I wanted to show you that I wasn't gonna hurt you."

I touched his arm and he stopped to face me. "Do you think you might change again?"

"I don't know. I'm not sure what caused it to begin with." He scratched the back of his head unsurely. "I don't feel like I need to drink that shit they kept giving me. Maybe it wore off. Maybe it was just temporary. The strangest part is that I felt great, like I was born that way."

"You did seem content as a leopard."

"Yeah, but I wouldn't be able to do this unless I was a man." He leaned in and kissed me on the lips. As I smiled at him, he took my hand. "Come on, we have to find a way off this island."

"We've been walking for God knows how many days, Cloud. Are you sure this is an island?"

"No, I'm not sure. If it's not an island then we're bound to run into something soon."

I followed beside him as he tugged on my hand. "Wonder what happened to Shinra and the others. You don't think the cannibals ate them, do you?"

He gave me a crooked smile. "We can't be that lucky."

I smiled at his humor.

Just then he froze.

Oh no! Now what? Cannibals again? "What's wrong?" I asked, watching him strangely sniff the air.

A sound above us made Cloud jump in front of me protectively. A black leopard, larger than Cloud, bared its teeth and roared from its perch on a tree limb. Cloud pushed me backward.

I fell to the ground and stared transfixed as Cloud began to transform again. It happened a lot faster this time. He leapt out of his boxers just as the black leopard jumped from the branch.

The two leopards attacked each other, rolling around on the ground, scratching and clawing and trying to sink their teeth wherever they could. Their angry growls and hisses filled the air, scattering birds and monkeys in the trees.

I feared for Cloud's life. What if the black leopard killed him? I was sure to be next on its agenda.

As quickly as the fight began, it ended. The black leopard bounded away and scaled the side of a tree not far away.

Cloud started to pursue.

"Cloud, no!"

He heard me and quickly jogged back to my side, pacing back in forth in front of me.

I crouched down next to Cloud and ran my hands over his fur, checking for any serious wounds. Just a few scratches here and there. Nothing serious.

The black leopard hissed menacingly.

To my complete surprise, the animal suddenly began to transform. At the end, a muscular black man was sitting perched on the branch. But maybe I wasn't so surprised. I had already seen a lot of weird things around here.

"What do you want?" I asked him. "Why did you attack us?"

"He's one of my kind," said the black leopard man, pointing to Cloud.

"Yes, thanks to the happenings at some cannibal village we escaped from a few days ago."

"I suffered the same fate." His voice was deep and reminded me of Barret.

I stared at him, wondering how long he had been in this half man, half leopard state. "Is he going to be like this for the rest of his life?"

"Unfortunately, yes. Although it seems as though he has accepted his transformation without any agitation."

I frowned at him. "Without any agitation? You have no idea who he is and how this affects him."

"I hadn't planned on attacking you. He hasn't learned how to control his aggression."

Cloud paced angrily in front of me, roaring and hissing at the man on the branch.

I crouched down beside Cloud again and rubbed his fur. "It's okay, Cloud."

"He wants to change back but feels that he can protect you better this way," he said.

"How long have you been here?"

"I'm not sure. Maybe a year."

"Are there any others?"

"No." He seemed to be thinking about something. "I have clothing and shelter."

I was still suspicious of him. "We don't need anything. We're looking to get out of this rainforest so we can go back home."

"Where is home?" he asks curiously.

"Edge, just outside Midgar."

"You're a long way from there. How did you end up here?"

"Helicopter accident."

"He will no longer feel comfortable beyond this rainforest."

I frowned at him. "What're you talking about? We're going back."

"What're your names?"

"I'm Tifa. He's Cloud."

"My name is Jamal."

"Where do you come from?"

"Bone Village."

"You haven't found a way out of this rainforest?"

"I did."

"Then why are you still here?"

He shrugged.

"Can you show us how to get out?"

"After we eat." He quickly transformed back into a black leopard and leapt off the branch.

As I watched him disappear into the trees, I leaned closer to Cloud. "I know you probably don't trust him."

Cloud turned and looked into my eyes. He roared in agitation.

"He says he knows how to get out of here. We don't have a choice. Let's follow him, okay?"

He finally relented and licked my face before turning around. With my hand at the nape of his neck, we began to follow the visible trail left by the black leopard.

**

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MIDEEL – the past

When we arrived in Mideel a couple days later, we split up to look around town.

Barret, Cid and I checked out a weapon shop and bought some provisions, while Vincent, Yuffie, Cait Sith and Red spoke to some of the villagers.

A dog started following us around. I bent to scratch its ear. "What's the matter? Are you all alone?" As I continued to give the dog attention, I listened to two men talking nearby.

"Guess its been about a couple days now since he washed up here on the shore. Poor pokey-headed young thing..." said one man.

"It was really sad. He was holding this really long sword. I dunno. The weirdest part were his blue eyes...so strange looking..." said the second man.

I immediately stood up and turned to them. "What did you just say!? Excuse me!" I walked over to them and they looked at me as if I was crazy. "That young person you were just talking about…"

"Yeah...a villager found him a little ways down the coast..."

"Poor kid must've drifted from somewhere pretty far away..." said the second man.

I spun around to where Cid and Barret were chatting not too far away. "I think it's Cloud!"

Cid and Barret rushed over.

"You sure, Tifa?" asked Barret.

I turned back to the two men. "Where is he? Is he safe!?"

The first man pointed up ahead to a small one story building. "Yeah, up ahead here. At the clinic."

I didn't wait for the others as I jogged to the clinic and burst through the entrance. "Cloud! Cloud, where are you?!"

A man in a lab coat walked up to me with his hands raised. "Here now! What's all the commotion? The way you're running around here, you'd think that meteor fell or something."

I took a deep breath. "I'm sorry, but I heard that a friend of mine was being taken care of here."

"A friend? Oh yes, you must mean that young fellow."

"Is he all right?"

The doctor gave me a concerned look. "I'm afraid his condition is..."

I didn't bother to listen to the rest as I went down the hall and checked every room.

Then I found him. He was sitting in a wheelchair. I rushed over and knelt down in front of him. "Cloud! I found you! I'm so glad you're safe."

But Cloud showed no reaction to my presence. He was staring blankly ahead, his head bouncing back and forth as if he had no control over its movement. He was also making a strange moaning sound.

"Wha...what's wrong? Cloud?" I cupped his face, but he still wouldn't look at me. "What happened to you?"

The doctor came up beside me. "Mako poisoning. Quite an advanced case. It appears he's been exposed to a high level of Mako energy for a protracted period of time. He probably has no idea who or where he is now. Poor fellow, his voice doesn't even work. He is literally miles away from us. Some place far away where no one's ever been. All alone..."

I shot him a look. "Doctor!"

"Oh, sorry." He walked out of the room, leaving me alone with Cloud.

I gently caressed his face. "Oh, Cloud. What do you want me to do? Please, talk to me. Tell me you see me, that you can hear me. Tell me, please." Tears filled my eyes. "I came this far believing in the memories we have together. This isn't happening!"

Barret and Cid walked in and saw the condition Cloud was in.

"Tifa, you okay?" asked Barret, his voice full of concern.

"No, I'm not okay. I'll never be okay. Not while Cloud is like this." I buried my face in Barret's shoulder. "What if he never recovers for the rest of his life?"

Just then the ground began to rumble and shake.

"It's…it's coming…"

I spun around to face Cloud. "Did you say something, Cloud?"

But he continued his strange moaning.

The ground shook harder.

Cid dropped his cigarette. "Damn. What the hell's goin' on!?"

I followed Cid and Barret outside of the clinic.

A large crack had formed several yards away and a greenish fluid was spraying out of it.

Cid pointed to it. "The Lifestream is gushing up from below the surface of the earth! Damn, this can't be good!" he shoved me by the arm. "Get back inside and stay with Cloud."

The doctor rushed out, pushing Cloud's wheelchair. "No, it's safer to take refuge in a wide open space. The structures can't take the tremors."

I took the wheelchair from the doctor and began pushing Cloud away from the growing fissure.

"We have to get to the Highwind," shouted Cid. "Tifa…"

But I didn't hear anything else as the ground suddenly opened up in front of me. I instinctly clutched the handles of the wheelchair as Cloud and I both fell into the greenish Lifestream.

I wasn't sure how much time passed, but I found myself surrounded by complete darkness. The surface beneath me was solid, but there was nothing to see. Just an impenetrable black. I couldn't even see my own hand as I moved it in front of my eyes.

An angry voice suddenly spoke in my head.

"What's happening? Who is it? I can't hear...?" I shook my head as the voice began accusing me of things. "I don't know anything about that! No! I'd never do anything like that! Stop it! Stay back!" I began to run blindly, not sure where I was going in the dark void around me. "Cloud! Cloud, help me!"

I fell to my knees and suddenly felt the nauseating sensation of spinning. What was going to happen to me? Where was Cloud?

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I know this chapter was a lot shorter than normal, but I had to end it here because the next scene in the past is pretty long and I couldn't find a good spot to split it, so I decided to leave it intact for the next chapter.

_Don't forget to check out the video I mentioned by Sannex7._

_Please leave feedback. Thanks._


	21. Chapter 21

_Author's Note – Sorry for the delay in getting this chapter out. I broke my ankle early last week and between the pain meds I'm taking and working 12 hours a day since Monday, I had no desire to even turn on my laptop._

_I've altered some parts of the past. Also, the present story in this chapter is nice and long. So enjoy!_

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Chapter 21

**Somewhere in the Middle of Nowhere – the present**

Cloud and I came to a large river just as it began to get dark. It was at least a hundred feet across to the other side.

My attention was quickly drawn to a nearby small hut. I wondered if it belonged to Jamal. The leopard man had vanished all of a sudden. Cloud tracked him to this point.

I looked around and called out. "Jamal?!"

The only response I received was the loud cawing of a colorful parrot in a tree.

Cloud growled and headed for the hut. He clawed at the flimsy straw-covered door until he managed to get it open.

I followed him inside and found a banquet of raw meat in one pile and fresh fruit in another. Cloud tore into the meat while I dug into the fruit. I was getting a little disgusted at the way Cloud was eating the raw meat. But he was in leopard form. If he had been human he wouldn't have touched the meat unless it was cooked. How many days had it been since we ate a decent meal?

After we ate, I inspected the inside of the hut and came across a neatly folded pair of trousers. I shook them loose and looked at Cloud. "Cloud, these might fit you."

He was licking his paws and looked up at me. The next thing I knew, he began to change…becoming human again. He shivered for a few seconds as he walked over to me.

I watched as he slid into the trousers. "It only took you half the time to shapeshift."

"Really?" he rhetorically asked. The trousers were actually three sizes too big and he held them away from his waist. "Both of us could fit in these."

"Sorry, I forgot to grab your boxers again."

He walked to the straw covered wall and pulled on a vine. It broke from the rest of them. Then he threaded the vine through the belt loops at the front of the trousers and tied them tightly. "That should hold them." Cloud abruptly spun toward the door and backed up against me.

I peered over his shoulder just as Jamal walked into the hut, wearing swim trunks and carrying an armload of bananas.

"I'm glad you decided to trust me by shifting back to human form," Jamal directed at Cloud.

"Who says I trust you?" Cloud replied casually.

"I apologize for giving you the impression that I wanted to attack you. I realize you were trying to protect your mate."

Cloud gave a small shrug. "Apology accepted." When Jamal reached his hand out, Cloud stared at it for a moment, still guarded. Then he reached out to shake it.

Jamal motioned to the trousers Cloud had borrowed. "Sorry, that's the only size I have."

"They'll do."

Cloud and I sat down on the ground and ate the bananas Jamal handed to us.

"So how long have you been part leopard?" Jamal asked Cloud.

"I don't know. A week, maybe two? We sort of lost track of time after awhile."

"Yeah, it's like that here. One day blends into another until you just don't know how old you really are. I think I've been here for about a year, but it might actually be two."

"How did you happen to find yourself on this island?" I asked.

"I was part of an expedition sent to research the wildlife. I got separated from the group and ended up getting captured by the Tiki natives. They made me drink something that turned me into a leopard after awhile. A couple weeks later they turned me loose. Can't figure out why though." He scratched his head. "There was a man among them. He wasn't one of the natives. He seemed to be in charge of everything."

"Professor Hojo…" Cloud mumbled.

"You know him?"

"He used to work for Shinra Corp. And yeah, you could say I know him. We've had some run ins in the past. I can't seem to get away from the guy no matter where I go."

We ate the bananas, silence falling around us for a few minutes.

"By the way, this isn't really an island," Jamal said. "That river out there, it separates us from the mainland."

"What mainland is that?" Cloud asked.

"Icicle Area."

"Why do you continue to stay here? Why don't you want to go home?"

Jamal stared at the ground for a moment before responding. "I tried to go home many times, but the rainforest called out to me. So I came back each time."

I frowned at Jamal. "I don't understand."

Jamal turned back to Cloud. "If you leave here, the rainforest will call out to you…just like it did to me. And now I can't go back home"

Cloud shook his head. "I have a life back home." He reached for my hand. "We have a life there."

I smiled at Cloud, but Jamal's next statement gave me an uneasy feeling.

"I had a life, too. My wife and three small children. I left them behind. I left everything behind. It doesn't matter. Nothing matters but the call of the rainforest."

I shivered beside Cloud and wrapped my arm around his. He glanced at me, probably seeing the look of concern in my eyes. He had left home many times, but he always came back.

Cloud turned back to Jamal. "You mentioned you found a way out."

"There's a rope bridge that crosses the river. But it hasn't been used in awhile. It may not even be there anymore."

"We'll take our chances. How far away is it from here?"

"If you follow the river, it's about a day's walk."

Cloud turned to me again. "We'll head out in the morning."

We talked for awhile longer before Jamal offered us the use of his hut, saying he would sleep in one of the trees for the night. Cloud and I made ourselves comfortable on a fur rug in a corner of the hut, but I knew he wouldn't sleep very soundly. He still had his doubts about Jamal.

When morning came, Jamal shared his food with us once again before Cloud and I set out along the river. The humidity was intolerable as usual, but even worse were the mosquitoes near the water's edge. They were mercilessly stinging us at every opportunity.

On the other side of the river, I didn't see any trees. It was just a seamless rock face, at least forty feet high. Cloud and I had thought about swimming across the river, but there didn't seem to be a way to climb the smooth stone wall on the other side.

Sometime later, we made our way through a grove of shorter trees where the roots had grown above the ground. Cloud froze and spun around in the direction we had come. He didn't seem tense and I quickly figured out why.

Jamal appeared from behind the trees, wearing a simple loincloth. When Cloud looked at him questioningly, Jamal gave us a brief smile. "I thought maybe you might want some help finding that rope bridge. If you miss it, you'll likely wander along this river for the next ten years."

Cloud and I looked at each other. Then he turned back to Jamal. "We could use the help."

Jamal grinned and proceeded to take the lead. Cloud took my hand and we followed behind him.

It was dark when Jamal found the elusive rope bridge. "There it is."

I stared at it in disbelief. "That's a rope bridge?" To me, it looked like someone wrapped a bunch of vines together, strung them up so they looked like a ladder and somehow managed to get the ends tied down on either side of the river's banks. The side on the other end drifted upward to a cliff. But the rope bridge itself just looked like part of the landscape.

I glanced up and down along the bank as far as my eyes could see in the darkness and the dense fog drifting above the river. There just had to be another way across. This was the narrowest I'd seen the river to be. "Can't we just swim across to the other side? It's not that far."

Jamal shook his head. "You don't want to do that. The river's infested with piranha. Of the most fierce kind you'll ever come across. I once saw an ape fall into the water and in a matter of seconds, it's dead carcass floated to the surface, completely stripped of its flesh."

Cloud turned to the rope bridge, his hands on his hips, more than likely contemplating how we were going to get across.

For some reason the thought of crawling on my hands and knees on the vines made my stomach twist into knots. Something about the rope bridge reminded me of the time on Mt Nibel when Cloud and I had fallen near the bridge. We had been so young back then. The same fear crept up my spine. Now there was the added knowledge that hundreds of hungry, ferocious fish would be waiting for me to step wrong.

"Okay, this is how it's gonna happen," said Cloud, turning to me. "I'm gonna go across first, to test the strength of the vines. When I get to the other side, Tifa, I want you to start heading across." He obviously sensed my uneasiness because he walked up to me and ran his hands up and down over my arms.

I stared wide-eyed at the rope bridge and shook my head. "I don't think I can do it."

"I know what you're thinking, Tifa and I'm scared, too. But we gotta get across this bridge."

I looked up at him, knowing he wasn't scared at all. "Maybe we can just stay here. It's not so bad. So what if we don't have a toilet or a microwave oven or ice cold beer."

Cloud smiled and cupped my chin with his hand. "You don't wanna stay here just as much as I don't. I know you."

As much as the sight of his smile pleased me, I closed my eyes, trying to shake the images of seeing him fall into the water and witnessing the piranha eating him alive. Then came the image of me falling into the water and seeing the jagged teeth before they ate out my eyes.

"Hey, look at me," I heard him say.

I opened my eyes again and looked into his glowing blue ones.

"You can do this. I know you can. Are you with me?"

I nodded with uncertainty. Then I walked with him to where Jamal stood patiently near the rope bridge.

Cloud reached his hand out to him. "Thanks for your help, Jamal. Maybe we'll run into each other again someday."

Jamal shook Cloud's hand. "Perhaps we will, my friend."

Then Cloud leaned over and kissed me on the lips. "I'll see you on the other side."

My hand automatically went to my chest as I watched him hop up on the vines.

Cloud bounced on them initially, to test their strength. Then he dropped down on all fours and began to crawl forward. I was afraid to breathe for fear that it might distract him and he'll fall. But he seemed sure-footed and paused only once to look back in my direction.

A few minutes later he made it across to the other side. He stood up and waved. "Come on, Tifa! If it can hold my weight, it'll hold yours! It's just like climbing a ladder!"

I turned to Jamal. "Well, I guess this is it."

"Tell him to beware the calling of the rainforest."

"Is it that bad?"

"He'll go through the change and might not be able to come out of it. He'll need you."

"Thanks, Jamal. Take care of yourself."

"You, too."

I turned to the vines and followed them with my eyes all the way upward to the cliff on the other side where Cloud was standing. It hadn't seemed so far when I first saw the bridge. But now it seemed like it was a hundred miles away. I hopped up on the vines just as Cloud had done. They seemed pretty sturdy. Maybe it wasn't going to be so bad after all.

As I started up, the going was fairly easy. But the minute I was out from the cover of the trees, I could feel a strong gust of wind from the current moving the river along. My hands grabbed hold of the vines on either side of the man-made ladder and I used the rungs between to support my feet. The cliff had to be a good hundred feet above the water's edge. Up at the top of the cliff was Cloud, crouching near the vines, waiting for me to reach him.

My eyes drifted down to the water below me. From this height I could actually see the shapes of the fish swimming in the dark water. There were literally thousands of piranha in the water and they were a lot bigger than I thought they would be.

"Tifa, don't look down," Cloud called out. "Just keep moving."

I forced my gaze away from the water and trained my eyes up ahead. Several steps later I was closer to the other side. Another forty feet. Almost there…

Just then an incredibly strong gust of wind shook the vines and I lost my footing. Before I realized what happened, I found myself dangling over the side of the vines, hanging from one hand. A scream came out of my lungs.

"No!"

The shout came from Cloud, even though I couldn't see him because I was now facing the bank where Jamal was standing. The black man suddenly started climbing up the ladder after me.

"No, Jamal!" yelled Cloud.

I tried to grab hold of the vine with my other hand, but for some reason it kept slipping off. That's when I felt the rain pelting my face. A gust of wind hadn't hit me. It was the force of the rain. Under the canopy of trees, I hadn't felt it's full force. But out in the open, dangling over the river, it felt like someone shooting needles into me with a shotgun.

"Motherfucking rain!" Cloud was cursing up a storm somewhere above me.

I wondered why I was so concerned about what he was feeling and not the fact that the only finger that remained holding me up on the vine was slowly beginning to slide open.

Then something grabbed me by the wrist. I looked up, my vision blurred by the thick raindrops. Kneeling on top of the vines, Jamal reached down to grab my other hand. In one quick movement, he hoisted me up like a sack of potatoes.

"Come on, Tifa, move!" yelled Cloud.

I shook the cobwebs out of my head and started to crawl forward again. But my hands kept slipping and I nearly toppled over again. Why wasn't Jamal having a problem gripping the vine?

Jamal came up behind me. "Keep moving, Tifa. I won't let you fall."

I glanced at his hands and noticed his hands had turned to paws and his claws were digging into the vines to keep them from slipping. With the security of Jamal behind me, I moved forward again, taking one rung at a time.

Fifteen more feet to go.

Through the loud sound of the thunder and pouring rain, another sound reached my ears…the sound of splitting vines behind me…followed by a plummeting drop that sent my stomach into my throat. My arm instinctly wrapped around one of the ladder rungs and I waited for the inevitable drop to the surface of the water below and the flesh-eating piranha. But instead I slammed into the side of the cliff. My right knee erupted in pain when it impacted the hard surface.

But my only thought was Jamal. Had he fallen into the water? Holding the ladder vines tightly, I snuck a peak over my shoulder. The rest of the rope ladder had fallen into the water and Jamal was nowhere in sight.

"Tifa!"

I raised my face upward, seeing Cloud hanging over the side of the cliff, his hand stretched out to me. The look of fear and terror on his face was unmistakable.

"Come on, you can do it!"

No, I wouldn't let him risk his life for me. I clenched my teeth and climbed up the rope ladder with determination. When I nearly reached the top, Cloud grabbed my arms and hauled me up over the side of the cliff.

He crushed me in his arms as I suddenly started wailing hysterically. "It's okay. You're safe," he whispered in my ear.

"No! It's all my fault!" I was gasping for air, unable to catch my breath, feeling as if my heart was about to explode in my chest. I was glad to be alive, glad that Cloud was alive, but so grief-stricken over Jamal. He risked his life and died because of me. If I hadn't panicked and slipped, he wouldn't have gone after me on the vines. "He's gone!"

"No, Tifa, look," Cloud said and pointed to the other side of the river.

I pushed the wet hair out of my eyes and in the darkness I could make out a man waving his arm. It was Jamal. He was alive. Somehow he had managed to swim back to shore. I imagined he probably had a few nibbles from the piranha, but maybe the river was moving too fast for any of them to take a bite out of him.

I raised my arm and waved back to him. "Thank you!" But I was sure he couldn't hear me over the sound of the rain.

Jamal gave one final wave before he disappeared into the rainforest.

As I turned back to Cloud, he put his hands on my face. "Damn, I thought I was gonna lose you." He hugged me tightly again.

After several minutes, we stood up and I went right back down, forgetting about my injured knee. When I looked down, I noticed it was bloody.

"Shit…" Cloud mumbled. He crouched in front of me and gently felt around my kneecap.

I bit my lower lip, trying to hide the pain.

"I can't really tell if anything's broken," he finally said.

"Just leave me here, Cloud. I'll only slow you down."

"Are you crazy? I'm not leaving you here."

"You can find help and come back for me."

"No way. I'm not leaving you here alone. We'll just rest here until morning. Then we'll both keep moving. I'll carry you if I have to." He sat down next to me and put an arm around my shoulder.

I leaned into his chest. Despite the heat and humidity amidst the falling rain, I shivered and my teeth rattled noisily together. It seemed as if neither of us were ever going to catch a break. All of our lives had been spent in some kind of peril.

Was this the way our future together would continue to be?

**

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**

THE LIFESTREAM – the past

When I woke up, I found myself in a strange place. It was a round platform that branched off in three directions. Even stranger than that was the fact that at each of the paths sat Cloud…three of him.

And when I looked up, I saw another Cloud floating aimlessly above me. "Cloud? What's going on? Where are we?"

I realized I was no longer in Mideel. The last thing I remembered was Cloud and I falling into the Lifestream. So what was I seeing now in this surreal environment? Why were their four Clouds?

One of the paths led to what looked like Nibelheim.

I looked up at the floating Cloud. "Is this your...subconsciousness?" I guessed. "You're searching for yourself, aren't you, Cloud? Well, I want to help, too." I glanced at the three different paths. "But...where do we start...?" I decided to walk toward the path to Nibelheim.

As I approached, the first Cloud stood up and turned to me. He looked down timidly. "The gates of Nibelheim. Five years ago, Sephiroth passed through these gates. And...that's how it all started."

Not too long ago, Sephiroth told Cloud that his life in Nibelheim had all been delusions that came from my memories. Instead he had been created in a laboratory by Professor Hojo. I needed to prove to Cloud that he _had_ been in Nibelheim and that we grew up together. I couldn't have made it all up in my head.

I rushed forward. "Look, Cloud! There's the well. Remember the well where we used to always sit and talk?" I pointed to the left. "That's Gramps' Inn, too. We used to make fun of the people that stayed there. And, look, Cloud. The only truck in town. It's been here since we were kids. This is the Nibelheim you remember, right? It's the same as my Nibelheim. That's why this place is...our Nibelheim."

Cloud suddenly appeared in front of me near the truck.

I nearly jumped, but recovered quickly as I remembered this wasn't real.

Sephiroth appeared on the path to Nibelheim, followed by two men in the familiar blue Shinra guard uniforms.

I turned to Cloud. "Five years ago, two men from SOLDIER came. Sephiroth and someone else. I saw Sephiroth for the very first time. I remember feeling a foreboding about him."

Cloud stepped between the two Shinra guards and faced Sephiroth.

I stared at the scene in front of me and knew this wasn't how I remembered it to be. "No, Cloud. This isn't how it happened. I've been hiding it for too long, afraid that if I told you...something terrible would happen. But, I'm not going to hide anything anymore. You weren't here, Cloud. You didn't come to Nibelheim five years ago. I...waited for you. But…you never came. The two that came were Sephiroth and…"

Before I could say his name, Zack Fair suddenly appeared and stood in the same spot where Cloud stood.

Cloud moved several steps away and pointed at the dark-haired young man. "You mean that SOLDIER who came with Sephiroth wasn't...me?"

I slowly shook my head. "I don't know what to say. You were so convinced that it was you…I…I didn't know how to react. I wanted to believe you more than anything. But I knew it didn't happen the way you told everyone."

Cloud shook his head and became unresponsive after that.

I grew concerned and decided to take another path. After walking back to the center platform, I walked along the second path and the second Cloud turned to me.

"That starry night at the well..." he said. "And our promise later that night. What if the memory was just a lie?"

The scene shifted and I found myself in the middle of my bedroom. A younger Cloud was lying on my bed while a younger version of myself was removing jewelry in front of the dresser.

I turned to the second Cloud. "This wasn't a lie, Cloud. I remember it all. Don't you?"

The second Cloud looked timidly at me.

I frowned. "We talked at the well. You told me you were going to the SOLDIER academy in the morning. I didn't understand why you wanted to go."

"I was tired of being pushed around or ignored. I wanted to be noticed. I thought if I got stronger I could get someone to notice me."

I felt a tinge of jealousy all of a sudden. Did Cloud have a crush on someone else back when we were younger? "Someone to notice you? Who?"

His eyes met mine. "You..."

"But…Cloud? I did notice you. Remember at Loren's party?"

"Tommy started picking on me."

"Yes, but before that."

He bit his lower lip and looked down with a frown, as if he was trying hard to remember. "I…I kissed you?"

"That's right!" I said enthusiastically. "Then we left and came here…to my room." I watched my younger self move to the bed and hop up on the young Cloud. They started to kiss rather passionately, making me blush, but I smiled. "I wanted to do more, but you were trying to be the level-headed one."

"I remember it. I spent the night, too."

"And you were a perfect gentleman."

As the second Cloud continued to watch our two younger selves on the bed, I walked back along the path to the platform.

There was still one more path. I followed it and approached the third Cloud. The path was covered in snow and I immediately recognized it as leading to Mt Nibel.

Two men rushed passed me. One of them was Professor Zangan and the other was my father. The sight of him quickly brought tears to my eyes and I began to follow him. "Papa!"

I stopped in my tracks when we came to another path below the frozen bridge. Lying on the ice were two even younger versions of me and Cloud. This was when we fell off the cliff. The young Cloud regained consciousness and began to stand up just as Zangan and Papa reached us.

Papa grabbed Cloud's arm. "Cloud! Why'd you bring Tifa here?!" He pushed Cloud aside and crouched beside me.

"Is she alive?" asked Zangan.

"Alive, but not responding. We have to get her to the hospital quickly." Papa picked me up and started to carry me away, his eyes glaring at Cloud. "What the hell's the matter with you? What if she dies?"

The young Cloud began to follow.

Papa whirled around. "You stay away from Tifa! I don't ever want to see you near her again. Do you understand?!"

I watched my father carry me away, with Zangan at his heels. Then I turned to the young Cloud. He hung his head down and then dropped to his knees, covering his face with his hands. Out of pure instinct, I ran over to hug him, to stop him from crying. But my arms passed through him as if I was a ghost…or he was…

The third Cloud came up beside me. "You were in a coma for seven days. We all thought you wouldn't make it. If only I could've saved you. I was so angry. Angry at myself for my weakness."

I stood up and turned to him. "But I recovered, Cloud. Everything was all right. You remember that part, don't you?"

He nodded.

"If we're both remembering this, then you have to know you weren't created five years ago. My childhood memories of you weren't all made up!"

The third Cloud snapped his fingers. "Maybe the truth lies in the reactor. The reactor of five years ago! Maybe I'll get the rest of my memories back in there."

I followed the third Cloud back along the path to the center platform and to the path leading to Nibelheim. We both headed for the reactor, but didn't have to run very far. The scenery around us dissolved and was replaced by the interior of the reactor.

My feet froze as I stared up the all too familiar stairway inside. I watched in horror as Sephiroth slashed his sword across my torso and in what looked like slow motion, my younger self toppled down the stairs.

Cloud stood beside me, watching the same scene. He looked to the top of the stairs where Sephiroth turned and entered the room on the other side.

Just then Zack rushed in, his buster sword in hand.

I watched the expression on Cloud's face.

"Za…Zac…k…Zack?" he stammered.

"You remembered!"

We both watched Zack bolt up the stairs and after he entered the room Sephiroth had disappeared to, we heard the sound of clashing steel. They were fighting.

I turned to Cloud. "It was Zack who came to Nibelheim with Sephiroth. But…where were you, Cloud? Did you...see it all?"

Zack came flying out of the other room and he landed hard on one of the pods lined up in rows inside the reactor.

"I saw...everything..." Cloud mumbled.

Someone else appeared at that moment. It was the surviving Shinra guard in the blue uniform. He took Zack's sword and ran into the other room.

The scene around us changed again. We were now in the second room where Sephiroth was staring up at a huge, water-filled tube containing a hideous creature connected to dozens of hoses.

The Shinra guard rushed forward and Sephiroth turned to face him, the guard plunged the buster sword into Sephiroth's stomach.

Sephiroth stumbled. "Who...who are you?"

The Shinra guard took several steps back. "Mom...Tifa...my town...give it back! I had so much respect for you! I admired you!"

I instantly recognized the voice. "Cloud?"

The guard turned and walked away from Sephiroth. Then he momentarily stopped to take off his masked helmet. It was Cloud.

"So that's what happened," I whispered more to myself than to Cloud. "You were there. You were watching me."

The scene changed to the interior of a truck. Sephiroth was seated on a crate near the front. Cloud was sitting on another crate closer to the back.

Zack was pacing up and down the small space. "Hey Cloud. If you're feeling sick, why don't you take a tranquilizer?"

The Cloud standing beside me pointed to the Cloud sitting on the crate. "Yeah...This is...me."

"But why did you hide from me?"

"I...never made it as a SOLDIER. I told everyone I was going to make it, but...I was just a Shinra grunt. I was so embarrassed. I didn't want anybody to see me."

The scene changed again into the interior of the reactor.

"I saw you in here…or at the time I thought you were just a hallucination. Because I wanted to see you so badly. But you really were here, weren't you?"

"Sorry I didn't get to you...fast enough...to stop Sephiroth from hurting you."

I reached for his hand and held it. "It's all right, Cloud."

Sephiroth appeared at the top of the stairs. In his left hand he held the severed head of the creature named Jenova. After he walked away, the young Cloud followed him.

"Sephiroth!"

I nearly ran forward when Sephiroth plunged his sword into Cloud's chest.

"Don't...push...your luck..." Sephiroth uttered with a sneer. He raised his sword, lifting Cloud three feet off the ground.

"Cloud!" I yelled, but I knew he couldn't hear me.

Cloud suddenly yanked Sephiroth's sword from his stomach and shoved Sephiroth into the chasm of the reactor.

The scene changed yet again and the hand I had been holding disintegrated in my grip. When I glanced around, the three Clouds merged into one. Then the floating Cloud gradually drifted down until he also merged with the others. The merged Cloud collapsed on the ground.

I rushed forward. "Cloud!"

He slowly opened his eyes and looked groggily at me. "Uh...Tifa..."

"Is it really you, Cloud?"

He gave me a half smile, still a bit out of it. "Yeah...Tifa. We finally meet again, huh?"

I shook him roughly. How could he joke at a time like this? "You stupid jerk! You had me worried sick!"

Cloud reached a hand up to his head. "I think I'm gonna be sick…" He pulled away from me and stood up.

"Are you sure you're all right?"

"Voices…in my head..."

"It's the Lifestream. Let's go back, Cloud. Back to the others..."

He nodded. "Yeah, I guess so. Let's go..."

**

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**

MIDEEL – the past

When I regained consciousness and opened my eyes, I was staring up at Barret.

"You alright!?" he asked with a scowl of concern on his face.

I slowly raised myself up. The first thing on my mind was Cloud. "Where is he?!"

"Don't worry about him. He's a tough one."

I turned to where Barret was looking and saw Cloud sitting at the edge of the bank, staring blankly at the water. "Barret, I was in the Lifestream. I saw the real Cloud. I mean, I didn't really find him. He sort of found himself on his own..."

Barret shrugged uneasily. "I…I shouldn't have doubted him."

"People have so many things locked up inside of themselves. They don't even realize…and they forget so many things. Strange isn't it...?" I felt a buzzing in my head and my vision blurred.

"Tifa," yelled Barret. "Snap out of it! Tifa!"

I passed out again.

_

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_

Please leave feedback. Thanks.


	22. Chapter 22

_Author's Note – For those of you asking about how Cloud is going to react if he and Tifa ever get off the island, well…you'll find out soon enough in the next couple of chapters. _

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Chapter 22

**Somewhere in the Middle of Nowhere – the present**

In the morning, Cloud came up with a brilliant idea. He was going to carry me on his back. I kept forgetting that he was a lot stronger than he looked.

"After that, Aeris thought I needed some makeup," he recounted as he carried me on his back through the glade covered in tall grass. He was telling me about the time he had to dress up as a woman to fool Don Corneo and rescue me.

I laughed, remembering the way he looked in a purple dress, a blonde wig and makeup.

"It's not funny," he protested. "You have no idea what I had to go through to get all made up."

"Well, I would love to hear it, Cloud."

"In the Honey Bee Manor, there's this room with a bunch of doors. So this girl told me to pick a door and I did and in there was like a community shower or something. Then eight guys came in and wanted to shower with me."

I giggled.

"Stop laughing. This is serious stuff."

"Poor Cloud. The things you've had to do for my sake." I hugged him around the neck.

"That place is a real freak show."

"Yeah, I know."

Cloud slowed his steps and briefly glanced over his shoulder at me, an angry frown on his face. "Yeah? And how would you know? Have you been there?"

"Where do you think I got that blue outfit I was wearing when you found me at Don Corneo's mansion?" I wondered if he thought something had gone on while I had been at the Honey Bee Manor. "Why're you so upset about that? You know I didn't do anything in there."

"I know, but…just the thought of you in a place like that…turns my stomach."

I hugged him again. "So what're you going to do when we get back to civilization?"

"I'm gonna guzzle a cold beer. Make that two cold beers."

"Sounds good to me. But maybe instead of a beer, I'll get one of those fruity drinks with the little umbrella on top."

Cloud abruptly came to a stop. "Do you hear that?"

I shook my head, hearing nothing but the breeze blowing against the tall grass.

"It's an airship." Cloud tightened his grip around my thighs and started to run through the field.

Then I saw it. It was the Shera, Cid's airship. It was circling not too far away.

Cloud gently lowered me to the ground and ran full tilt by himself, waving his arms. "Hey! Down here! Hey!"

For a minute the airship looked as if it was going to keep going. But then I saw a head pop out of a hatch and look back. Whoever was up there had seen Cloud and was pointing down. The airship immediately whirled around.

Cloud turned and jogged back toward me. He picked me up in his arms and carried me toward the airship as it slowly touched down on the grassy field.

As we got closer to the airship, I saw a small figure jump out and run toward us. It was Yuffie.

"Oh my Gawd, I can't believe we found you!" She hugged me first and then hugged Cloud, with a raised brow immediately noticing he was shirtless.

Cloud carried me into the airship and we were greeted by Cid.

"Had a fuckin' hellova time looking for you two!"

After Cloud set me down in one of the seats, he quickly went for the First Aid kit in a compartment in back.

Yuffie sat down next to me and put an arm around my shoulder. She watched as Cloud cleaned out the cuts on my knee. "So what happened to your clothes, Spikey? Those are not your pants, I know that."

Cloud gave me a brief glance before starting to wrap a bandage around my knee. "It's a long story, Yuffie."

**

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**

BONE VILLAGE – the present

Cid flew us to the nearest town, which was Bone Village. We checked into a room at the Inn and a doctor was sent up to properly stitch my knee. Luckily nothing was broken.

Yuffie joined us an hour later with a shopping bag. She bought clothes for Cloud and I. Cid joined us, too and we ordered a huge spread of food and cold beer. While the four of us ate, Cloud and I recounted the events. He purposely left out the part about being turned into a leopard. I imagined he didn't want anyone to know about it so I didn't say anything.

"So we're going after Hojo, right?" asked Cid.

Cloud frowned and looked down. "No. Let him rot in the jungle. I don't give a shit."

"He can't get away for keeping you two caged up like a bunch of animals!"

"I know, Cid, but…I just can't…I can't go back there."

I wanted to change the subject before Cloud got more upset. "How did you find us anyway?"

"Believe it or not, Mr President himself, Rufus Shinra, looked me up and told me to look for you south of Bone Village."

So Shinra, Reno and Rude had made it out. I wasn't sure whether I was glad or not. The sensible part of me was glad to hear they hadn't been eaten by cannibals, while the untrusting side knew it wouldn't be the last time Shinra got involved in our lives.

"It took awhile to get the authorization to fly in that airspace," Cid continued on. "The wildlife is endangered and under protection, so the fuckin' authorities gave me all kinds of grief, threatening to shoot me out of the sky and shit. I finally talked to some people, who talked to some people and the search began a few months ago."

Cloud stopped chewing on a piece of bread and looked up at Cid. "What?"

Cid looked at him questioningly. "Whatta you mean, what?"

"Did you say a few months?" Cloud asked in surprise.

"How long were we missing?" I asked with equal surprise.

"A little over three months."

Cloud frowned and turned to me. "That can't be. We couldn't have been lost that long."

I remembered feeling disoriented for a long time, not sure of day or night and how much time passed. "I don't know. It didn't seem that long, but it's possible."

Cloud stared up at the ceiling. "Barret's gonna kill me." He looked at me with a shake of his head. "I told him I'd only be gone a couple days when I left to go find you in Junon."

Yuffie cracked up, but I didn't think it was funny. Three months? Even though I had lost track of time, had ninety-some days really passed that quickly?

Cid stood up and lit a cigarette. "So are we ready to leave now or what?"

A half hour later we were onboard Cid's airship.

As it started to leave Bone Village, Cloud moved to the window.

I watched him for a few minutes and noticed sweat pouring down his face. He looked like he couldn't breathe. I quickly unstrapped myself from my seat and walked over to him. "Cloud, are you all right?"

He couldn't answer me as he kept looking out the window, at the green carpet of trees below us.

I touched his arm. "Cloud?"

He gasped for air, his hands and forehead pressed against the glass.

"Cloud…are you all right?"

He finally looked at me and shook his head. "No…" He turned back to the window.

"What's wrong?"

"I don't know." He slid down to the floor and leaned back against the window.

"Everything all right over there, kid?" asked Cid.

I replied for Cloud. "He's fine, Cid. Just get us home." I wrapped my arms around Cloud and leaned my forehead against the side of his head. "It's okay, Cloud. We'll be home soon."

**

* * *

**

EDGE – the present

When we finally got home, it felt empty without Marlene and Denzel.

"I called Barret before we left Bone Village," said Yuffie. "He came and picked up the kids. I thought you guys might want a chance to get a good night's sleep before having to explain yourselves to the rugrats."

I wouldn't have minded seeing Marlene and Denzel, but I was grateful for the privacy Cloud and I would have for one night. "Thanks, Yuffs."

She left with Cid.

I turned to Cloud, who was pacing in the center of the tavern, his eyes bouncing around at everything as if he was seeing it all for the first time. "Cloud? Do you want to go upstairs?" When he didn't respond, I walked over and stepped into his path. "Cloud?"

He looked at me, startled. "Tifa…"

I searched his eyes, seeing the wild look in them. No…I wasn't going to let him think about that rainforest. I slid my arms around his neck and gave him a fierce kiss. My heart did a little hop when he immediately responded.

To my surprise, Cloud picked me up and carried me upstairs. He brought me into my bedroom and kicked the door closed.

Maybe he just needed to keep his mind preoccupied for awhile, until he stopped thinking about that rainforest. Well, I'd make sure he had enough of his mind so he couldn't think about anything else.

In the middle of the night, I woke up to a sudden roaring wail. When I sat up I saw Cloud in leopard form. He was agitatedly pacing back and forth through the bedroom. His loud panting echoed against the walls as he stared at the window, looking as if he was about to leap through it.

I quickly jumped out of bed and moved toward him, ignoring the pain in my knee. "Cloud…"

He turned his large feline head in my direction.

I knelt on the floor in front of him and wrapped my arms around his neck, letting my hands drift through the thick fur on his back.

He licked my shoulder and roared again.

"It's okay, Cloud. It's okay. Come back." As he slowly transformed back into human form, I wrapped myself around him and held him as he shivered.

"Goddammit!" he said through chattering teeth. "Help me, Tifa. Help me fight this."

"Shhh, just relax…"

"I just wanna be normal again."

"I know. We'll get through this together."

Cloud clung to me tightly for a few minutes as he continued to shiver. Then I slowly led him back to bed. He was asleep in a matter of seconds.

**

* * *

**

ABOARD THE HIGHWIND – the past

Later that morning, Cloud called a meeting in the Operations Room of the Highwind.

He looked nervous standing at the head of the table. "I'm sorry, everyone."

"All you've been doing is apologizing, Cloud," said Red. "You don't have to say anything at all."

Cloud briefly locked eyes with me briefly, drawing strength to finish saying what he had to say. "I do have something to say and I know that after you hear it, you may not trust me again. But I have to confess. I was never in SOLDIER. I made up the stories about what happened to me five years ago. I left my village looking for glory, but never made it in to SOLDIER. I was so ashamed and felt so weak that I created an illusion of myself, made up of what I had seen happen to someone else. And I continued to play the charade as if it were true."

"Illusion, huh...?" Barret grumbled. "Pretty damn realistic for a illusion, I'd say."

"I'm as physically capable as anyone in SOLDIER. Hojo's plan to clone Sephiroth wasn't that difficult. It was the same procedure they used when creating members of SOLDIER. SOLDIERs aren't simply exposed to Mako energy. Their bodies are actually injected with Jenova cells. But only the strong can ever make it to the level of SOLDIER. Weak people...like me…they get lost in the whole thing. The combination of Jenova cells, Sephiroth's strong will and my own weakness are what created me." Cloud sighed and shook his head in sorrow, unable to look at us any longer. "I'm...Cloud…master of my own illusionary world."

Cid plopped his foot up on the conference table. "You're sure fucked up, kid."

I gave him a dirty look. "Cut it out, Cid."

"What're you going to do now, Cloud?" asked Cait Sith. "You're not giving up, are you?"

"It's because of me that Meteor is falling toward the planet. It's my responsibility. I have to fight this thing."

Barret raised his gunarm. "Good! Then you're gonna keep fightin' to save the planet!?"

Cloud smiled at Barret. "It's like you told me once before, Barret."

"What? What'd I say?"

"About the train?"

"Oh, that!"

Red looked confused. "I don't understand."

Barret grinned. "There ain't no gettin' offa this train we on! The train don't make no stops!"

When Cloud looked in my direction, I couldn't contain my smile. I was so proud of him for telling everyone the truth, even though it hadn't really been necessary. I was also glad that he had finally found his 'real' self and remembered everything that happened in our childhood.

**

* * *

**

JUNON – the past

Cid landed the Highwind at the Junon airport. We all scrambled out of the hatch and headed to the elevator, taking it down to the city.

As we walked around, Cloud looked around strangely. "I may be mistaken, but..Doesn't it feel like there's something missing around here?"

None of us could figure out what was different since the last time we had been here.

When we rounded the corner and headed for the elevator leading to the lower levels, two guards jumped out, holding weapons. Cloud actually looked bored as he knocked out both guards.

We got on the elevator and took it down to the reactor floor. There were guards swarming the level and we had to fight our way through. Luckily none of them had the good sense to sound an alarm.

In the next chamber was a submarine dock. A crew was busy loading crates onboard a red submarine.

Just then Reno appeared from a side door. "Ah shit, you guys again?"

Barret stepped forward, his gunarm aimed. "We're gonna help transport the Huge Materia!"

Cid twirled his harpoon. "Just so you know, I don't work for cheap!"

"Either give it to us or else," warned Cloud. "Which is it gonna be, Reno?"

"Unfortunately, I don't have time to deal with you," Reno replied before he fled the area, pressing a button on a device he had in his other hand.

A robot standing near the red submarine came to life and took several steps toward us. It used its extremely long arms to knock us around every time we tried to attack it.

"I've had enough of this thing," Cloud said as he summoned the Knights of the Round using the materia we had found on Round Island. The thirteen spirits dealt their blows and at the end the robot fell to pieces.

Just as we sighed in relief, we realized the red submarine had left the dock.

"Damn! The submarine's gone!" yelled Cloud.

Cid pointed to the other submarine parked at the dock. "Let's take that one!"

We had to deal with several guards before we were able to board.

**

* * *

**

ABOARD THE SUBMARINE – the past

The interior of the submarine was terribly cramped. Cloud and I moved toward the front and heard voices coming from the control room.

"NO, NO!! This is terrible!"

"We don't have much time left! I don't want to die! I never even got to do my special victory dance in battle!"

"All right! Then make this your first victory! Go on, show 'em!"

"Yes, sir!"

"Remember your last training. Begin!"

"Yes, sir!"

Cloud glanced over his shoulder at me. "Not the stupid victory dance again. I had enough of it when I had to dress up as one of them." He pushed the door open the rest of the way.

The uniformed man on his feet turned to us in surprise. "What're you doing here?!"

While Cloud knocked out the commander, I knocked out the one at the controls. Cid and Barret dragged their unconscious bodies out of the control room before returning.

When I looked at Cloud, I noticed he was hyperventilating alittle as his eyes stared around the small space. "I…I can't take it anymore. I can't breathe in here..."

I remembered he was easily susceptible to motion sickness and was sometimes claustrophobic.

Barret smacked Cloud's shoulder. "Stop your blubberin' and get us out of here!"

Cloud stared at the controls, the sweat pouring down his face.

Cid pushed his way to the controls. "Hunka junk...ya just gotta do this!" He pushed several levers and the submarine moved. "See? Now you take over. I can't drive this thing and smoke at the same time and I need a fuckin' cigarette!"

Cloud sat at the controls and started maneuvering the sub. "Hey, you're right...I _do_ feel alittle better driving. No sweat."

I squeezed myself next to him on the seat and looked out the front windshield of the sub as Cloud followed behind the red submarine.

"Shoot at 'em, Cloud!" Barret hollered.

Cloud looked down at the controls and found the weapons panel. He pressed some buttons and a torpedo launched.

I grinned at him when the torpedo hit the red submarine. "You did it, Cloud! Look, it's going down!"

When the red submarine settled on the bottom, Cloud steered the sub down. He glanced over his shoulder. "Hey, Cid, how're we supposed to retrieve the Huge Materia?"

"Don't ask me," replied the pilot.

Cloud slumped back in the seat and gave me a sideways glance. "This isn't going the way I had hoped."

"All Shinra Subs. Do you read?" The voice was coming from the radio comm.

"Must be from Shinra," I said.

"Report, No. 2..."

"Is it us?" asked Barret.

Cloud pushed a button beneath the radio comm.. "This is Shinra No. 2. Everything's normal."

"Roger. Return to Junon Dock. The Huge Materia is ready to be transported from the airport. We need all hands to report as soon as possible. Over and out."

Cloud slammed a fist on the control panel. "The Huge Materia wasn't even on the red sub. We followed the wrong lead."

"Let's surface," I suggested. "We might have time."

**

* * *

**

JUNON – the past

The submarine surfaced and we all climbed out along the shore.

As we proceeded toward Junon, Cid pointed at something that had just taken off. "It's a Gelnika. It just left the airport!"

"They must have the Huge Materia on that plane," Cloud concluded.

Barret waved his arm toward the Highwind resting not too far away. "Let's go after it!"

"Where do you think they're headed, Cloud?" I asked.

Cloud watched the plane disappear into the sky. "I have a bad feeling about something. We need to head to Rocket Town."

Cid's cigarette fell out of his mouth. "Rocket Town? You don't think…? Shit! Let's go!"

We quickly piled into the Highwind. With Cid behind the wheel, we were sure to reach our destination in record time.

_

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_

Please leave feedback. Thanks!


	23. Chapter 23

_Author's Note – Woohoo, we are back on the rollercoaster. You'll see what I mean when you read the present story. In the past, I decided to omit the whole Lucrecia scene. Don't ask why, it just seemed senseless to me because Vincent left her in that cave, even though she was still alive. Oh, never mind, I'm stupid. Maybe someone can explain it to me and if it makes sense I might add it in later._

_By the way, I had mentioned in a previous chapter that I might do some scenes that weren't from Tifa's point of view. Well, this chapter contains one of those scenes._

**

* * *

**

Chapter 23

**EDGE – the present **

**CLOUD'S POV**

I tightened the lug nut with the wrench and the piece of metal split in two. "Shit!" This was the third one I broke in the last five minutes. Either the lug nuts were poorly made or I suddenly didn't know my own strength.

I sat up and leaned my back against Fenrir. It was no use. I'd have to get Cid to replace the spark plugs. He'd probably swear up a storm and call me a fucking pansy because I couldn't do it myself. But I couldn't tell him the truth. I couldn't tell him I was having another identity crisis.

I could feel it coursing through my veins…in my blood. Like a living entity. Why was I feeling like I was about to jump out of my skin if I couldn't run full throttle? And why was I suddenly feeling better than I had ever felt in my entire life?

I could hear better, like my ears had recently been flushed. My sense of smell was improved in such a way that I could distinguish several different scents and knew exactly where they were. And I felt more powerful…physically and mentally. I felt like taking on the world.

But I hated that I loved the way I felt. Hojo changed me. He made me drink something that gave me the ability to shapeshift into a leopard. Although I was sure he had been expecting some other kind of result. Maybe he had hoped for a Darknation or something more deadly. I wasn't so sorry to disappoint him.

But why? Why didn't Hojo just kill me? Why did he go to all the trouble of making my life miserable?

_That's a stupid question, Cloud. He did it because he knew you'd suffer. He enjoys torturing you. Hell, he's been doing it to you almost all of your life. Nothing's changed. _

I just wanted to go back to the way it was before I got Geostigma. Everything was going great at home. Tifa and I were getting along. We hadn't fought in months. I vowed to tell her how I felt, to tell her the truth about Aeris…and to tell her that she was the only woman I ever wanted. But then the virus hit me. I was afraid to tell her because I knew she'd be devastated. Both of us had a sort of symbiotic existence. I depended on her a lot, but I knew she wanted me around. So I stayed. If she had known I was dying, she wouldn't have been able to handle it. And I wouldn't have been able to handle seeing her fall apart.

Tifa was the strong one, not me. I was just a mess of restrained and subdued emotions that just came out at the wrong times. Always saying the wrong things, doing the wrong things…acting like a jackass most of the time because I couldn't stop trying to impress her.

Well, it didn't matter anymore. She found out I had Geostigma and then I was cured and then I wanted to pick up from where I left off. I wanted to tell her everything. But not at home. It had to be a place where we could be alone and wouldn't be interrupted. I knew she loved me and I wanted to make it up to her for all the times I gave her grief. Was that too much to ask for?

Again, it didn't matter anymore. She knew everything. We could move on and live our lives together like it was meant to be from the beginning. I knew it when we were still young that we would somehow end up together. At the time though I just didn't know the hardships we'd have to endure to get there.

Yes, we could move on. Except now I had this strange instinct to run on all fours. I felt restless, kept having anxiety attacks all day and night long…most of the time when Tifa wasn't in the room. I didn't want her to see me this way.

There was a constant buzzing sound in my head. It started the minute we left the northern continent. And now I couldn't shake it.

On top of it all, every time I got a whiff of Tifa…even when she was as far away from me in the apartment as possible, I couldn't control myself. I needed her. It was like something else had taken over both my body and my mind. I knew Tifa wouldn't complain whenever I suddenly got amorous with her, but I just didn't want it to be like it was back when we were chasing Sephiroth two years ago. I hadn't meant for it to seem meaningless, but back then all I had been looking for was the physical contact with her. I needed it. It gave me a sense of home.

Tifa was home…and home wasn't a home without her. That was the reason I freaked out when I found out she had left. She never left. I was the one that was always leaving. She was always home when I got there. That night, when I went to her room and discovered her suitcase was missing, I didn't know what to think. I panicked and didn't want to believe anything except that I wanted her home. I needed her to be home with me.

I absently looked down at my hand and focus on something deep in my head…something that hadn't been there before. My fingers started to change and thick hairs grew out of my skin. It was disgusting and yet alluring at the same time. In a unsettling way, I liked the feeling. It was extremely painful…the way my bones shifted and cracked…the way my entire body contorted into something inhuman. But the pain felt good. Changing back to human form always left me shivering, like something was missing on my skin…aside from clothes.

I wanted to feel the pain. I anticipated and craved it like a drug. It was addicting. And the more I did it, the better I got at it. But the more I wanted to remain on all fours. What was wrong with me? Why did I suddenly have this urge to be something I wasn't meant to be? Whatever Hojo did, it was powerful. It not only changed me physically, but it was starting to wear in my head.

The other night, when I turned into a leopard in the middle of the night, I knew Tifa was worried. I could see it in her eyes. Hell, I had been worried, too. If she hadn't woken up, I would have jumped through the window.

I dropped my hand to my lap and closed my eyes, feeling it slowly return back to normal.

If I had to be this way for the rest of my life, then I had to have Tifa by my side. She was my lifeline and I needed her. But I also needed to start behaving like a normal human being. Forget the leopard and remain the man.

I let out a heavy sigh. "Get your act together, Strife," I mumbled to myself. Tifa depended on me as much as I depended on her. I needed to get back to my delivery business so we'd have that steady income again. But to make deliveries I needed Fenrir to be in top condition and right now, she needed a tune up.

**Back to TIFA'S POV**

Yuffie volunteered to help me decorate the bar for an upcoming holiday event a few days after Cloud and I returned home.

"So everything's fine between you and Spike now?" she asked.

I hadn't really had a chance to talk to her much about what happened, only that Cloud had finally confessed that he loved me. "Everything's perfect. While we were stranded on that island," I kept referring to it as an island because I didn't know what else to call it. "…he really opened up and told me everything."

"Really? Everything?"

"About what happened to him during those missing five years before AVALANCHE. He even told me what happened between him and Aeris."

"He did?" She seemed mildly surprised for some reason.

"Yes," I said, rolling my eyes. "It's no big deal."

Yuffie raised her eyebrows. "No big deal? If it were me and he told me he fooled around with Aeris on the Round ride at the Gold Saucer, I'd be really pissed."

I dropped the wreath I was about to hang up and whirled around to face Yuffie. "What?!"

Her face suddenly grew pale and her jaw dropped a little. "Uh…he didn't tell you that?"

I walked over and grabbed her arm roughly. "How would you know that happened?"

She shook her head. "No, forget I ever said anything."

I shook her arm. "Tell me!"

"I…I…I was in the next car and I saw them."

My chest constricted. "Were they…what were they doing?"

"They were kissing…I didn't see anything else because I was getting totally grossed out." She stared at me as if she was afraid I'd punch her in the face.

I released Yuffie's arm and tried to control my sudden hyperventilating breath. He lied to me again. He said nothing happened on that date with Aeris. How could he tell me something and swear it was the truth and lie about it again?

Just then I heard someone walk in through the back door.

Cloud appeared from the kitchen, wiping his greasy hands on a dish towel. "Tifa, have you seen that can of brake fluid I bought yesterday?"

I was so furious at the moment, I couldn't even open my mouth to respond to his question.

He noticed the angry look on my face and moved toward me. "I know, I know. I shouldn't leave things lying around. But…"

I didn't let him finish before I slapped him hard across the face. I heard Yuffie gasp behind me.

Cloud looked stunned and his eyes looked questioningly at me.

"I…I think I'll be going now," Yuffie stammered before rushing out the front door and closing it behind her.

He rubbed his face where I hit him. "What the hell, Tifa…?"

I was hyperventilating again. "I…I trusted you to tell me the truth. I believed everything you told me. And now I find out you still lied to me about you and Aeris."

He sighed loudly in exasperation. "Not this shit again."

"How dare you?!" I clenched my fists, wanting to knock him clear across the room. "How could you make love to me and then…and then…on the same night do what you did with her?"

His eyes shifted to the ceiling. "I told you before, nothing happened."

"Stop…lying…to me!!" I screamed. "Why can't you just tell me the truth?!"

He looked as surprised as I was that I could screech so loudly.

After I thought I had my voice back under control, I grabbed him by the chin and forced him to look directly at me. "Look me in the eye and tell me you didn't do anything with her."

For a brief second I thought maybe he was going to say something as he stared intently into my eyes. But then he pulled away, putting some distance between us.

A lump formed in my throat as I realized the truth.

"I couldn't tell you, Tifa. I knew you'd react this way."

"I'm reacting this way because you _LIED TO ME_!! You could have told me the truth two years ago and all his would have been behind us!"

He looked down, running a greasy hand through his hair, leaving black streaks in it. If we had been having a different kind of discussion, I would have laughed at him.

"What else have you lied about?" I asked in suppressed rage. I was shaking all over and I didn't know why.

"Nothing…" he said in barely a whisper.

"You told me it made you feel good when we made love. So did it make you feel good when you did it with _her_, too?"

His eyes shot up. "No…it's not what you think."

"You're a liar! Yuffie told me she saw you!"

"Yuffie?!"

"She was in the next car on the ride at the Gold Saucer." I wasn't going to let him get away with another lie. "I won't believe anything you say ever again, Cloud!"

"I wasn't myself back then! I didn't know what I was doing! Nobody ever liked me when I was younger. And then all of a sudden I had two girls who wanted me. I couldn't help it!"

"Get out!" When he didn't move, I put my hands on his chest and shoved him backward as hard as I could. "I said, get out!!"

His brows drew together in sudden anger. "Fine! Fuck this! I don't need you! I don't need anybody!"

"I don't ever want to see you again! Don't come back here!" I screamed.

Cloud stormed into the kitchen and the next second I heard the door slam hard. The loud sound made me cringe. And then I heard Fenrir starting. Seconds later he peeled out loudly and was gone.

**

* * *

**

ROCKET TOWN – the past

Cid landed the Highwind in the field near the rocket and we all got out.

Cloud had a determined look on his face as we headed for the rocket. "Damn, I have a bad feeling about this!"

"What're you thinking, Cloud?" I asked, trying to keep up with him as he broke into a jog.

"Shinra's trying to play hero and save the day. I bet the Huge Materia's in that rocket and he plans to launch it at Meteor."

"What?" shouted Cid. "Goddammit! Not my rocket, he ain't! I'm gonna kick those Shinra assholes right out of my rocket!"

Each of us took turns climbing the ladder up to the platform beside the rocket. Inside we ran into some Shinra guards that needed to be knocked out.

There was also a crewman sitting in one of the cockpit seats.

He did a double take when he saw Cid. "Captain! You came back!"

Cid stormed up to him. "What the hell's goin' on!?"

"We're gonna launch this rocket! Our rocket's gonna save the planet!"

Cloud tried to butt in. "Wait a minute."

Cid pushed him away. "Shut up! Just shut the hell up!" He turned back to the crewman. "How's the rocket?"

"It's pretty much okay, but…we planned to run it into Meteor on Auto-Pilot, except the most important device is broken."

"Broken? How's the repair goin'?"

"Shera's doin' it."

Cid threw his arms up in the air. "Oh great! You're a fuckin' wizard! She's gonna take a hundred years! I'll take over, so don't worry about the Auto-Pilot!" He jerked the crewman out of the seat and flung him away. "Go ahead and tell everyone!"

The crewman quickly left the rocket.

Cloud moved toward Cid again as the pilot got into the cockpit seat. "Hey, Cid! What're you doing!? That Materia has generations of knowledge and wisdom. We need it to save the planet from Sephiroth. We can't lose the Huge Materia. You understand that, right?"

Cid was punching buttons and flipping switches and pulling levers. "Yeah, I understand. I also get what you're thinking. But listen, I don't give a rat's ass whether it's science or magic. If I had to choose, I'd rather put my money on the power of science. Humanity can finally fly into outer space. Science is a power created and developed by humans. And science just might be what saves this planet. I earned my living thanks to science. So to me, there's nothing greater! Now quit your worrying about what Shinra's gonna do! I don't wanna regret not having done something later."

"Dammit, Cid!"

"Shut the hell up! I don't wanna hear it! Anyone who ain't with me then can get the hell outta here!"

Suddenly the rocket's engines started and everything started to rattle.

Cid checked the controls. "What the hell...? I didn't even start anything! Where's the countdown?!"

Cloud shoved both of us to the floor as a sudden heaviness hit me. The rocket was lifting off. With us in it! And there were no seats for anyone else.

After what seemed like an eternity of gravity painfully trying to squeeze me into the floor seams, the heaviness lessened and I felt myself float.

"I finally made it," Cid rejoiced. "Outer space." He looked down at the controls. "We're headed for a collision with Meteor."

Barret swung his arms as if he was swimming in water as he tried to move closer to where Cid was sitting. "Can't you do somethin' to change the course?" he growled.

"Somebody went outta their way to lock the Auto-Pilot device. I can't change the course."

"So this is the end?" Cloud asked quietly.

Cid spun around to look over his shoulder. "Huh? What the hell're you sayin'? I'm not gonna crash into Meteor. There's an Escape Pod on the rocket just for emergencies like this. We'll bail right before we crash into Meteor."

"What's gonna happen to the Huge Materia?"

"Do whatever you want with it! Just climb that ladder over there and you'll find your precious materia."

I followed Cloud up the ladder into a small storage room. Resting inside of a container was the Huge Materia. For some reason I imagined it would have been as large as a Barret's head, but it was actually the size of a grapefruit, which was about four times bigger than regular materia.

Cloud slipped the Huge Materia into his pocket and we headed back down to join the others.

Cid jumped out of his seat. "Okay, people. Time to go."

We followed him down another ladder into a room with oxygen tanks lining two of the walls.

Cid took the lead. "The Escape Pod's right over there."

Just then one of the oxygen tanks blew up, scattering heavy debris all around. When the dust settled, we discovered Cid pinned under a huge piece of metal.

Cloud and Barret immediately rushed over to try and lift it. But the rocket was shaking violently and it was hard to get a firm grip on the sheet of metal. The rest of us joined in to help.

"Just get the hell outta here!" yelled Cid. "The rocket's gonna crash into Meteor any second!"

Cloud strained to lift the metal. "We're not leaving without you."

"You're stupid. You're really fuckin' stupid. Tank Number Eight blew up." He grimaced in pain. "So it really was malfunctioning...Shera, you were right."

The sheet of metal finally moved and Yuffie helped Cid slide out from under it. Then we all climbed into the Escape Pod which didn't seem like it had been built to hold six humans, a red wolf creature, a mechanical cat and an oversized moogle. I sat on Cloud's lap while Yuffie sat on Vincent's, only Vincent didn't look as pleased about that as Cloud did.

"Everybody ready?" hollered Cid. He pulled a handle.

The Escape Pod ejected from the side of the rocket and dropped sickeningly back toward the planet.

When I turned to Cloud, he looked pale and green at the same time. I hugged him. "Don't think about it, Cloud and you won't get sick."

Just then a huge explosion rattled the Escape Pod. We all turned to look out one of the many portals. The rocket had crashed into Meteor. But it didn't even leave a mark. It failed to stop the Meteor from its descent.

**

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**

ABOARD THE HIGHWIND – the past

Cid maneuvered the Escape Pod and timed the entry point back into the atmosphere. After three large parachutes opened up, we floated through the air and finally landed softly near the launch site in Rocket Town.

As we all exited the Escape Pod, Shera was standing near the platform where the rocket used to sit. We started heading toward the Highwind, but Cid decided to jog over to Shera.

I paused and Cloud stopped with me. We watched as Cid suddenly grabbed Shera and hugged her tightly. She seemed surprised by his actions. Then he kissed her long and hard.

"Disgusting," said Barret as he continued on.

Cid exchanged some words with Shera and it was the first time I had actually seen the pilot smile. Then he kissed her one last time before heading in our direction. He glared at Cloud and I. "What the hell're you lookin' at?"

As he passed us, Cloud and I exchanged a look and shrugged before heading for the Highwind.

Cid acted as if nothing had happened, except that maybe he had a different aura about him.

Cloud slumped in one of the seats. "Shinra's plan was a failure."

Red shook his scruffy head. "Nothing seems to work against Meteor. Makes you worry, doesn't it?"

I frowned at him. "Stop worrying! We have to think!"

Cid lit a cigarette. "The girl's right. You start worryin' and there's no stoppin' it! Things just start fallin' apart and get progressively worse."

Barret scowled at Cid. "You're pretty damned optimistic. You got somethin' on your mind?"

"Yeah, I been thinkin' about this and that. All the time we been up here lookin' at the planet. I always thought it was so huge. But lookin' at it from space, I realized it's not that big at all. We're just floating in the dark, completely powerless. On top of that, Sephiroth festering inside it like a sickness. This planet's like a little kid, a sick kid trembling in the middle of the universe. Someone's gotta protect it. Ya follow me? We gotta protect it!"

I couldn't help but smile at the pilot. "Cid, that's beautiful."

"Yo, Cid!" grumbled Barret. "Ya even got to me!"

Cid shrugged and blew smoke in his direction.

"Let's go see grandfather," suggested Red. "Maybe he can tell us something that will be helpful."

Cloud turned to me. "It's worth a try, don't you think?"

"Yes, I think we should go to Cosmo Canyon."

"Cosmo Canyon it is," announced Cid.

**

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COSMO CANYON – the past

"If you ever are in need of my wisdom, you are always welcome here," said Bugenhagen as he greeted all of us.

"That's why we came," replied Cloud.

"What to do? Have you lost your way? When that happens we each have to take a good long look at ourselves. There's always something in the deepest recesses of our hearts. Something buried or something forgotten. Remember it...Whatever that is, it must certainly be what you are all looking for."

"That's easy enough to say. But, I can't remember a thing."

"It must be there. Look harder!" Bugenhagen gestured. "What is it that you are searching for?"

Cait Sith shrugged. "Can't come up with a thing."

"Me either," said Yuffie. "I don't really get any of this anyway."

"I remember Aeris," Cloud said slowly. "She was right there all along. Right by our side. She was so close, we couldn't see her. She said she was the only one who could stop Sephiroth's Meteor."

I touched Cloud's arm. "But Aeris is gone, Cloud.".

Red turned to Bugenhagen. "Is it impossible for us to carry on what Aeris tried to accomplish?"

"We ain't no Ancients, if that's what ya mean," said Barret.

Cloud moved to the center of the room where the others were scattered in various seated positions. "We have to try. We can't give up. I say we go back to the Forgotten City and we try and figure out what Aeris had been trying to do before Sephiroth killed her."

"Hmmm, perhaps I'll have you take me there," Bugenhagen pronounced.

Red turned to him. "You're going, too?"

"What's so surprising about that? Even I want to get out from time to time and see the outside world. I wonder what did it? I haven't felt like this in ages."

Barret stood. "Awright then, let's get off our asses and move!"

Everyone filed out except for Cloud and I.

Bugenhagen gave us a curious look. "Is there something else you wish to share?"

Cloud pulled the Huge Materia out of his pocket. "Yeah, I need to keep this in a safe place. It's pretty delicate stuff." He handed it to Bugenhagen who placed it in a hidden compartment behind a picture.

The three of us walked out and followed the others to the Highwind.

Bugenhagen smiled as he studied the airship. "Ahh, the smell of machinery. I love it. Of course, I also love the smell of nature, too."

I smiled and shook my head. He was the most curious person I had ever met in my life, always making such obscure statements. But I knew his mind held a vast library of knowledge. Hopefully he would be able to help us in our cause to save the wounded planet.

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Please leave feedback. Thanks.


	24. Chapter 24

_Author's Note – Okay, I made some promises to have the next chapter posted tonight, so here it is. Just wanted to point out that a lot of you thought Tifa over-reacted when she found out Cloud lied again about what happened on his date with Aeris. I think though, sometimes all of us over-react during a fight and regret things we say in the heat of the argument. But you'll read in this chapter how Tifa feels about it after the fact…when things have cooled down._

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Chapter 24

**EDGE – the present**

Later in the day, Barret picked up Marlene and Denzel after they came home from school. It was the start of their spring break so he was taking them to the Gold Saucer for a few days. I thought he was nuts, but then I realized he wasn't going alone. Aeris's mother, Elmyra, was joining them. I wondered if there was some romance blossoming between the two of them.

But my thoughts were quickly interrupted by the fact that it was 7:00pm and Cloud hadn't come home since he stormed out earlier this morning. Granted, I had told him to get out and never come back. But I didn't really mean it.

I had plenty of time to think about the situation over the last few hours…and it was really starting to sound stupid to me.

Yes, he had lied to me over and over and expected me to believe him _this_ time, but I was almost positive this was the end of it. There wasn't anything else he could hide from me. I even started to understand why he had lied. He loved me too much to hurt me with the truth. He was right, he wasn't himself back then and probably loved the attention that both Aeris and I were giving him. He didn't know what he was doing and just couldn't foresee the consequences of his actions. I needed to cut him some slack.

Did it really matter anymore anyway? The past was over and done with. I had always argued with him about forgetting the past and moving on. Well, I needed to do the same. I needed to let it go and forgive him.

Whenever he decided to come home, I vowed to wholeheartedly apologize to him and tell him it didn't matter what he did back then. The here and now was more important.

So I waited for him…

…and waited…

…and waited…

Cloud and I had fought plenty of times in the past, and whenever I told him to never come back, he never took me seriously and came home, usually an hour or two later after both of us had cooled off. Hopefully he'd know I didn't mean it this time, just like all the other times.

I decided to call his new cellphone. When the beep followed his recorded voice, I cleared my throat. "Cloud, I'm…I'm so sorry." I broke down and started to cry. "I don't know what came over me. I promise I'll never bring up the subject again. Please come home." I was about to end the call and remembered to add something else. "I love you." Then I hung up and wiped at my eyes..

My mind soon started conjuring up all sorts of things that could have prevented him from coming home. Fenrir skidded off the road and he was lying in a ditch somewhere…he got into an accident and was lying in a ditch somewhere…he got into a fight with some of the creatures that occasionally lurked in the city and was lying in a ditch somewhere…he got mugged by some hoodlums and was lying in a ditch somewhere…

…or he was just so furious with me that he decided to stay away for awhile…

An hour later I tried his cellphone again and got his voicemail. I hung up and bit my lower lip.

Something happened to him…I had a bad feeling.

It was time to go out and look for him. I slipped on my running shoes and headed out. I combed the neighborhood, running up and down the side streets. I went to all the places Cloud liked to hang out. The gas station where he sometimes did some mechanical work for extra gil; the video arcade where he and Denzel often spent hours playing games; the junkyard where Cloud and Cid picked up spare parts for various conveyance projects they had in the works; the gym where Cloud went to work out or swim in the Olympic pool.

There was no sign of him anywhere in Edge.

I took a cab to Midgar and searched Aeris's church, hoping maybe he had gone there like he did the time he was trying to hide his Geostigma illness from me. Nothing. Not a single clue that he had been there, not even a gum wrapper.

As I sat just outside the church, I grabbed my own new cellphone and called everyone, hoping that maybe he had gone to their place or had seen Cloud. I tried to be casual about it so they wouldn't suspect anything was wrong. No sense in worrying everyone just yet. Vincent, Cid, Red and Cait Sith...none of them had seen Cloud since the day after we came home. I didn't call Yuffie because I knew Cloud wouldn't seek her out if she were the last woman on the planet.

I even went so as far as to call Chocobo Bill, thinking that maybe Cloud had gone to the Chocobo Farm for awhile. Again, nothing.

At around 11:30, I headed back home, hoping he had returned while I had been out looking for him.

"Cloud!" I searched every room in the apartment.

He hadn't returned.

I spent the next two days in a state of total depression. I couldn't do anything and even kept the bar closed because I just didn't have the energy or will to talk civilly to any of my customers. Cloud was gone and it was making me crazy.

I kept calling his cellphone and leaving him messages until I eventually got a recording that the number I was calling was out of service. That meant one of two things. Either the battery had died or Cloud shut the phone off.

On the third night, I was sitting on the floor in the den, thinking about calling Barret or Cid. Something happened to Cloud. Someone kidnapped him or hurt him and he couldn't get to a phone to call for help. Maybe Shinra had him. After all, the man practically told me he thought Cloud could communicate with Aeris.

If it was Shinra then I couldn't handle things on my own.

I picked up my cellphone and started to dial Barret, knowing that Marlene and Denzel would be upset that their little vacation was being cut short. But my fingers immediately stopped punching numbers when something on the television caught my attention.

"…apparently early this morning some joggers spotted a panther roaming the seaside park near Midgar. That panther is currently trapped in a tree and the Wildlife Protection Administration has been called in to capture it. Let's go live to Seascape Park with Kathy Neville."

I dropped my cellphone and crawled to within a foot of the television screen. The reporter was standing near a news van. In the background was a large tree.

"Reports of panther sightings came from several sources over the last couple days and the authorities finally decided to investigate. As you can see behind me, up in that tree…"

The camera zoomed in over the reporter's shoulder. I shuddered at the sight of the large spotted feline trapped in the tree, its ears pinned back, teeth bared, spine-crawling roars filling the air.

"Cloud…" I touched the screen with my fingers.

"…They've already shot the animal with several tranquilizers, so it'll only be a matter of time before they can capture it safely. So far no one's been able to figure out where this animal came from."

I quickly got up and bolted out of the house. Seascape Park wasn't within running distance so I hailed a cab and promised the driver extra gil if he got me there in five minutes.

When the cab pulled up a few minutes later, the street was blocked with dozens of vehicles and hundreds of people.

"Wait for me here," I instructed the driver as I jumped out of the cab. By the time I ran to where all the action was, four men in blue jumpsuits were carrying the tranquilized leopard to the back of a van.

I pushed my way forward through the crowd, but was blocked by several authorities standing on the other side of a barrier. I desperately wanted to call out to Cloud, to wake him up. The men threw him in a cage in the back of the van and closed the doors.

"I wonder where that panther came from," said someone behind me.

I turned to head back the way I came and couldn't stop my mouth from responding. "He's not a panther, he's a leopard." I ran back to the cab and jumped in. As the van pulled out into the street, I pointed to it. "Follow that van and don't lose it."

The driver nodded.

We drove for almost a half hour and I had no idea where they planned to take Cloud. But wherever it was, I had no intention of losing sight of that van.

"Looks like they're going to the Midgar Zoo," said the driver a few minutes later.

The Midgar Zoo had been one of the land tracts that survived the Meteor storms a couple years ago and in the time after that, it had actually grown into one of the most popular places to spend the day with the family, outside of the Gold Saucer.

The van turned down a street reserved for Zoo staff only. I was pretty sure nobody would let me in through there and the Zoo was closed for the night. I had no choice but to tell the driver to turn around and go back to Edge.

On the drive back, all I could think about was Cloud waking up to find himself inside of a cage, in some zoo habitat. It made me sick to my stomach. He wasn't going to be able to get out. I needed help. I wouldn't be able to get him out alone.

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FORGOTTEN CITY – the past

Bugenhagen suggested that on our way to the Forgotten City, we would need to search the sea floor around where the red submarine went down. I wanted to ask how he even knew we sank the red sub, but maybe Red had told him the story. And even if Bugenhagen knew, how did he know what we needed to search for?

By some miraculous circumstance, we discovered an underground cave. Cloud and Vincent donned wetsuits and searched the cave, returning soon afterward with an artifact resembling a staff with spikes all over it.

Bugenhagen inspected the artifact carefully. "We will take this to the Forgotten City. Perhaps it will be useful."

Later on we abandoned the submarine to board the Highwind again and set a course for the Forgotten City.

Cloud and I walked with Bugenhagen, ahead of the others in the Ancient City. The Cosmo Canyon scholar looked around as if he was hearing things none of us could.

"Whatta you hear?" Cloud finally asked.

"The knowledge of the Ancients swirling around, telling me the planet's in a crisis. A crisis beyond human power or endless time. They say when the time comes, we must search for Holy."

"Holy?"

"The ultimate White Magic. Magic that might stand against Meteor. Perhaps our last hope to save the planet. If a soul seeking Holy reaches the planet, it will appear. Meteor, Weapon, everything will be destroyed. Perhaps even humanity."

"That doesn't sound very promising."

Bugenhagen wagged a finger. "It is up to the planet to decide what is best for it. But all that is bad will disappear."

Without waiting for the others to catch up, the three of us headed along the left path and around to a section with a courtyard surrounded by archways. At the center was a raised platform with a large white crystal.

"How do we search for Holy?" Cloud asked Bugenhagen.

"First we must retrieve the white materia and then we must speak to the planet. If our wish is granted, the white materia will begin to glow a pale green." Bugenhagen studied the floor around the large crystal. "Look at this!"

Cloud an I looked at the strange markings etched around in a circle.

"It is the writing of the Ancients."

"Can you read it?" asked Cloud.

"I'm not an Ancient, therefore I can't read this writing! But look closely over here."

I knelt on the floor near Bugenhagen and Cloud crowded behind me. "There's a note written in chalk," I said in surprise. "It says…key…and I think these two words over here are…music box…"

"It was probably written by someone who was breathing their last breath."

Cloud turned as Vincent and Barret were making their way along the path. "Barret, bring the staff we found in the underground cave."

Barret walked over and held the spiked staff out to Cloud.

"Bugenhagen, do you suppose this might be a key?"

"Ho, ho! Of course," Bugenhagen said excitedly. He took the staff from Cloud. "And I know the exact location of the elusive music box." He moved toward a stone altar that had a slot in the center. Bugenhagen carefully slid the staff into the slot.

At first nothing happened. Then a loud rumbling sound followed. The ground shook as a tall pillar slowly descended, collapsing onto itself. The sound of rushing water quickly followed and it soon poured down from a ledge, forming a perfect circle around the platform with the white crystal.

Cloud and I followed Bugenhagen through the curtain of water. In the center of the circle of water, the white crystal was glowing brightly.

"Look!" Bugenhagen pointed. "Look at the image projected on the water!"

A scene unfolded on the wall of water. It revealed Aeris praying on the platform in the underground chamber, just before Sephiroth killed her. Her head jerked back from the impact of his sword. Then something fell out of the ribbon in her hair. It was the white materia.

"It's glowing pale green!" Cloud observed. "Aeris was praying for Holy before Sephiroth got her. She came here on her own because she knew what had to be done. She was the only one that could do it."

"But if Aeris already summoned Holy, then why hasn't it stopped Meteor?" I questioned.

"Something's getting in its way," Bugenhagen concluded.

Cloud clenched his fist. "It's him. Sephiroth. It has to be." His phone suddenly rang and he quickly answered it, listening to the person on the other end. "Yeah, I remember the Junon cannon." He listened again. "Moved it? Where? Why?" He grimaced. "We're on our way." He put his phone away and stepped through the water curtain.

I jogged after him. "What's going on?"

"Come on, everyone. We have to get back to the airship." He turned to me. "That was Cait Sith. He said Shinra moved the cannon. It operates on Huge Materia and since Shinra used it in the rocket, the only other place that has a large source of Mako is…"

"Shinra headquarters…" I finished.

We made it back to the Highwind and were soon airborne.

Several minutes later Cait Sith began emitting a strange squelching sound, causing everyone to cover their ears.

"What the fuck is that noise?" shouted Cid.

The sound finally stopped and everyone stared at Cait Sith.

"Sorry about that, everyone. The controls went crazy and it's not good news. Another weapon came out of the sea and is heading straight for Midgar."

"Hey!" yelled Barret. "What's gonna happen to Marlene!?"

"Marlene's in a safe place. She's with Elmyra."

"But that's still in Midgar. We have to do something!"

Cloud turned to Cid. "Let's go! We'll beat Weapon ourselves!"

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OUTSIDE MIDGAR – the past

Cid landed the Highwind on the outskirts of Midgar.

Up ahead was one of the Weapons. This one was white with thick limbs and broad shoulders. As we approached it, the Weapon turned and tried to stomp on us with one of its enormous feet. Yuffie and I struck it with Fire while Cloud used his Ultima materia and hit it with his Meteorain specialty.

Nothing seemed to faze the behemoth creature as it turned and continued on toward Midgar.

We boarded the Highwind again and circled around the monster.

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ABOARD THE HIGHWIND – the past

"Cid, ram the ship into Weapon!" shouted Barret.

Cloud was watching something out of the window. "No, wait! Look!"

We all rushed to the windows and stared in disbelief as the reactors around Midgar spewed Mako like volcanoes. Power surged into the pipes attached to the Shinra building. And then a blue ray shot out of the large cannon that had been brought from Junon.

At the same time, Weapon released a number of blasts.

"They're headed for Midgar!" I pointed.

Barret slammed his fist into the glass. "Marlene!"

The blue ray from the cannon reached Weapon and blasted right through its torso. As Weapon fell to the ground, the blue ray continued on.

Cloud frowned. "Wait a minute! They're after Sephiroth! The crater on the Northern boundary!"

"It'll hit the barrier one of those other weapons put up!" said Cid.

I stared in dismay as Weapon's blasts struck various structures in Midgar, including the top floor of the Shinra building. It blew up, raising a fireball fifty feet into the air.

Total silence fell over everyone. We all knew what this meant. If Rufus Shinra had been in the office on the top floor, then he never could have survived that blast.

I turned to see Cloud's reaction.

But Cloud seemed unfazed as he hurried over to Cid at the wheel. "We have to get to the Northern Cave and see what happened there."

Cid's teeth tightened around his cigarette and he spun the wheel, sending the airship in a sickening turn toward the opposite direction.

Cait Sith's moogle hopped to the center. "Hold it, everyone. Listen to this conversation." The mechanical cat let loose another loud squeal. "Scarlet! Heidegger! What's going on?"

Other voices came out of the moogle's mouth.

"This is strange. I can't reach the President!"

"I'm not talking about the President," replied Cait Sith. "What happened to the Sister Ray?"

"Why're you speaking so strangely, Reeve?" The woman's voice belonged to Scarlet. My cheeks still stung from the time we had that slapping contest.

So that was the name of the Shinra employee controlling Cait Sith. His name was Reeve.

"The reactor's output is increasing all by itself!" shouted Reeve.

"Wait a minute. That's not wise! It must cool for three hours or it won't work. Reeve, shut off the machine!"

"We can't do that! It's inoperable!"

We all stood stunned as we listened to the conversation coming out of Cait Sith's moogle.

"Someone has switched the machine over to mainframe operation! We can't operate it from here!" This voice belonged to someone else.

"What about the mainframe? Call the mainframe!"

"Huh? Why are you giving orders?" Heidegger asked angrily.

"Who gives a damn about that?!"

"Ha, ha, ha...Just you wait, Sephiroth. I'll give you all the Mako you want."

Cloud's eyes widened as both of us recognized this new voice.

"Hojo, stop!" shouted Reeve. "You're endangering Midgar!"

Hojo continued to laugh. "It's a small price to pay."

"Hojo! No!"

Barret shook the moogle beneath Cait Sith. "Do somethin', ya stupid cat!"

Cait Sith shook his head. "We're sunk. Hojo's doing this on his own."

"Can't you stop the Mako reactors?" Cloud recommended in a rush.

"No. We can't stop them."

Barret shook the moogle again. "You're from Shinra, ain't ya? So why's it impossible!?"

"We came a long way to get here," Cid said as he flung his spent cigarette to the floor. "You better not double cross us now!"

"I can't make you trust me..."

"You damn fool! Don't you understand anything I'm saying? I don't give a damn about Shinra. If you're a man...no, if you're a human being, you'll save the planet! Don't you even care?"

Cait Sith backed himself into a corner. "If we shut down the reactors, all hell will break loose!"

"Why? Can't you just shut off the valves?"

"Yeah, it's easy to shut off the reactor's pipe valves...But the reactor made a path for the energy to escape from below. Once you open that, it'll be impossible to close it until everything blasts out...and we can't stop the energy from gushing out once those pipes are open."

"There'll be an explosion!" Barret growled.

"The blast will be much stronger than the first reactor explosion!" said Reeve through Cait Sith. "You have to come to Midgar! That's the first thing!"

Cloud shook his head angrily. "No, we have to stop Hojo...first."

"Midgar is under martial law! No one's allowed in or out!"

Cloud rushed over to a compartment on the wall and flung it open. He started pulling packs out and tossing them to everyone. "Fine…we'll just parachute down."

I had never used a parachute before and my fingers shook as I tried to latch the hooks in all the right places. When I looked up, Cloud was watching me.

He walked over and helped me connect the parachute straps. Then he spun me around to face him. "We're gonna do this, right?"

I nodded nervously.

"Just stay close to me."

We all filed out to the outer section of the ship.

Cid, Barret and Vincent jumped first. Cait Sith, Red and Yuffie were remaining onboard the airship.

Cloud took my hand and together we jumped over the side.

The air whipped roughly against my face as I stared down at the lighted city below. Midgar looked so beautiful from up here. But my main concern now was whether or not I'd survive the landing.

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Please leave feedback. Thanks.


	25. Chapter 25

_Author's Note – I'm on a roll! Not sure for how long though, so don't get spoiled with these daily updates from me. (-).(o)_

_Also, I wanted to give you an FYI. My past and present stories are actually separate files on my computer. Before posting each chapter, I put the present and past sections together into one combined chapter. Somewhere along the way, I miscalculated the length of the present story, thinking it was much shorter and now it looks as if the past story will be ending much sooner. With that in mind, I think I'm going to delve a bit in the story that occurs between the game ending and Advent Children and continue the past that way. There's an official short novel in the Advent Children DVD that gives a somewhat brief occurrence. I may stick to that particular story and just elaborate it…or I may decide to go in a completely different direction and make it all up. I'm not sure yet. I'll think about it when I get to that point._

_**Disclaimer – I haven't posted one of these in a while. As usual, I don't own anything. It all belongs to Square. And for Chrissakes, why can't they hurry up with AC Complete?? It'll be coming out in Japan sometime in early 2009, so that means it'll be a really, really, really long time before it comes to the States. GROWL!! Anyone have any news on that front?**_

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Chapter 25

**MIDGAR – the present**

In the morning, I called Yuffie at the temporary apartment she rented whenever she came to Edge. "I need you to go somewhere with me."

"Where are we going?" she asked groggily.

"To the zoo."

"The zoo? What for?"

"I need to see the animals."

She groaned. "Tifa, you're acting so weird lately. How can you think about looking at animals after what happened between you and Cloud the other day."

I cleared my throat. "Oh, don't worry about that. Everything's fine now," I fibbed.

An hour later, after I rented a car from a local place and picked up Yuffie, we were on our way to the Midgar Zoo.

Yuffie complained during the entire ride, saying that she could have thought of thirty-five other things she'd rather be doing than seeing a bunch of animals at the zoo. "Where the hell is Cloud anyway?"

"He's…uhm…he's on some deliveries." I couldn't exactly tell her that he was at the zoo at this moment and that was who we were going to see.

We arrived at the zoo, parked the car and paid to get in. I had no interest in seeing any other animals, even though Yuffie kept stopping to admire them.

"I thought you didn't feel like seeing any animals, Yuffie," I said as I tried to drag her along by the arm.

"Well, I thought that's the reason we came here? What's the rush all of a sudden?"

"There's only one animal I'm interested in seeing."

"What animal?"

"They captured it at the Seascape Park last night."

"You mean that panther? I saw it on the news this morning."

I sighed. Why was everyone calling Cloud a panther. "No, not a panther. He's a leopard."

"Oh, well, excuse me. The _leopard_. Shesh, what's with you lately?"

When we reached the Predator section, I rushed Yuffie through the exhibits before she decided to stop anywhere.

"There it is," said Yuffie, pointing to a jaguar.

"No, that's not him." I took her by the arm and dragged her further down along the exhibits. Lions, tigers, clouded leopards, snow leopards, cougars. Then I stopped in my tracks. Leopards...

Several people were standing in front of the leopard exhibit. Young kids pointed to the animals on the other side of the iron bars. I saw three animals. Two were lying underneath an overhanging rock. Another was pacing agitatedly back and forth in front of the bars. It was Cloud. I recognized him, having memorized every spot on his coat.

The big feline turned his head to sniff the air and then whirled around with a loud roar, making several people jump back several feet away from the bars. He suddenly saw me and bolted in my direction.

I released Yuffie and blindly hopped over the steel barrier separating the spectators from the iron bars of the animal habitats.

"Tifa, what the hell!" Yuffie yelled in surprise.

I ignored her warnings and the gasps from the people around as I moved to the bars. As I crouched, Cloud reached his paws between the bars and placed them on my shoulders. His weight forced me to sit on the ground. I leaned closer and he began licking my face. "Oh God, Cloud…" I reached between the bars to hug him and to run my fingers through his thick fur. "I'm so sorry…"

"Tifa!" Yuffie screeched. "Get away from there!"

"Please forgive me," I whispered to Cloud.

Cloud rumbled deep in his throat and affectionately rubbed his face against mine. He seemed accepting of my apology and seemed apologetic himself.

A glance over my shoulder at the people watching in shock behind me eluded that I didn't have much time before someone decided to call security. I reluctantly pulled away from Cloud, my eyes quickly filling with tears. As I backed away from the bars, Cloud reached his paw through, trying to touch me again. He roared in disappointment.

When I hopped back over the barrier, Yuffie yanked me away. "Are you crazy? That thing could have ripped your face off!"

I stared back toward the bars, seeing Cloud pacing desperately, roaring loudly. "I have to get him out of there."

Yuffie sat me down at a nearby bench. "Did that rainforest fry your brain or what?"

Tears poured out of my eyes as I watched Cloud pacing along the bars, roaring in frustration, calling out to me. "Oh God, what am I gonna do? How am I gonna get him out of there?"

"Teef, what're you talking about, getting him out? You're thinking of turning that thing loose?"

I turned to Yuffie, the tears burning my eyes. "I promised Cloud I wouldn't tell anyone. But I have to tell you, Yuffie. I really need your help."

She gave me a worried look. "What's the matter? Are you pregnant?"

I wiped at my eyes, briefly glancing in the direction of the roaring leopard. "No, it's nothing like that."

"What is it then?"

"Before I tell you, you have to promise not to breathe a word of this to anyone. Promise me."

"Okay, I promise. I won't breathe a word to anyone."

"And you have to keep an open mind."

"My mind is wide open."

I took a deep breath before looking her in the eyes. "Something happened to Cloud while we were held captive in that native village. Hojo did something…horrible…to him."

Yuffie frowned. "Like what?"

I wondered how she would react when I told her the truth. "He made Cloud drink some kind of potion that had some weird chemicals in it. It changed him. It turned him into an animal."

"Whatta you mean it turned him into an animal? Like he went nuts like an animal?"

"No. He literally…changed…into an animal...into a leopard."

Yuffie stared at me as my words registered in her youthful mind. "Are you trying to tell me that animal over there is Spike?"

"Yes."

"No way!"

"Yuffie, look at me. Why in the hell would I make up such a story?"

She stared into my tear-filled eyes. "To drive me completely insane, that's why."

I stared back at her.

"Okay, so how many times have you seen him change into…a leopard?" she asked, miserably failing in her attempt at indifference.

"A lot."

"So obviously he can change back?"

"Yes."

"Well, why doesn't he change back now?"

Now I knew I lost her again. She didn't believe me. "If he changes back, don't you think the staff here at the zoo would find it odd that the leopard they captured yesterday is gone, replaced by a naked, blonde human being?"

She shrugged. "I suppose that would be odd."

"If anyone found out…they'd lock him up in some asylum and throw away the key. Or worse, they'd run all kinds of experiments on him. You know just as well as I do how much Cloud hates doctors and scientists and…"

"Okay, I get the picture."

"So you believe me, don't you?"

She raised her hands. "Let's just suppose this is true. What do we do?"

I pointed to the leopard exhibit. "You have to help me get him out of there."

"And how the hell do you think we're going to do that?"

"I don't know."

"We can't do this alone. We need more help."

"No, I can't bring anybody else into this. Cloud was adamant. He doesn't want anyone to know. It's bad enough I had to tell you. I can't tell anybody else."

"Okay, well, we don't have to tell anybody who he is. For all they know, we're busting a pet leopard out of the zoo."

"Who can we get?" I asked her.

"I dunno. We'll have to think about that one."

I got up and Yuffie followed closely behind me. As I approached the barrier again, Cloud stopped pacing and moved to where I stood. He reached first one paw through the bars and then the other. His claws dug into the dirt, dragging at it. Luckily the people that had been standing there earlier were now gone.

"Cloud…"

He immediately stopped clawing at the dirt and looked up at me with an anguish roar.

"Shhh, listen to me. I'm gonna get you out of here. I promise. Just try and keep it quiet. It's important that you don't draw any attention to yourself. Okay?"

Cloud reached his paw out again and I leaned over the barrier to touch it. When I turned to Yuffie, she was looking into the leopard's eyes.

"I don't believe it," she said with a stunned expression on her face. "That's really him, isn't it?"

I turned back to Cloud. "We'll be back later, Cloud. Don't forget. Keep it down, okay?"

Cloud gave a short roar of acknowledgement and I dragged the mesmerized Yuffie away.

Yuffie and I ate lunch at a diner in town as we plotted out the rescue.

"What about Vincent?" asked Yuffie.

"No. He's too smart. He'll figure it out before we even open our mouths to deny it."

"Yeah, you're probably right about that."

"Besides, we need somebody who can pick locks."

"What about Cid?"

I rolled my eyes. "Oh God, not Cid."

"Why not Cid? He has a ship. We can parachute down just like old times."

"Cid would be the last person Cloud would want me to involve in this."

"We don't have very many choices, Tifa."

"You're right. But like I said, he can't know the truth."

"So what do we tell him?"

"We'll just have to make something up." I pushed my plate aside in frustration. "Yuffie, we have to do this fast. After what happened to Cloud on that island, being in a cage again…I'm afraid he might really lose it this time."

She nodded and pulled her cellphone out of a pocket. After punching a number she put the phone to her ear. "Hello, Cid, guess who…" She quickly moved the phone away from her ear before replacing it. "No need to shout!"

I closed my eyes and sank my fingers in my hair. This was going to be a lot harder than I could ever imagine.

After returning home, an hour later Cid arrived, marching into the bar like he owned the place. "Tifa! Where the heck are ya?!"

I quickly bolted out of the kitchen, with Yuffie at my heels. We sat Cid down and told him the story we had fabricated.

When we were done, Cid frowned and scratched the back of his head. "For as long as I've known that kid, I always thought he was a strange one. But this? I don't ever recall hearing he had any kind of fascination for big cats."

I tried to act as if I knew what I was talking about. "Oh, believe me. He loves them, especially leopards."

Cid got up and started pacing in front of the table. He stopped and gave me a funny look. "Where the fuck does he keep it? Not here obviously."

I turned to Yuffie and we both looked at each other with our mouths open, unsure of how to respond.

Yuffie spoke first. "At the Chocobo Farm!" she shouted a little too loudly and enthusiastically.

Cid looked skeptical. "The Chocobo Farm? I'm no genius, but I'm smart enough to know that leopards and chocobos aren't very chummy with each other." He rubbed his chin thoughtfully. "So how did the thing end up in the Midgar zoo?"

This time I jumped in. "I got a call from Chocobo Bill and…and he said some big game hunters caught it and put it in the zoo." I was proud of myself for coming up with that one so quickly.

Yuffie agreed. "Yeah, famous big game hunters," she needlessly added.

Cid continued to look skeptical. "And why the fuck isn't Cloud handling this shit himself?"

"Uhm…" I thought quickly again. "He's…he's making some urgent deliveries in…uh…in Mideel. After all that's happened to him, I…I didn't want to upset him with the news that his favorite pet was captured and put in a zoo. So, he doesn't know." I mustered up the most sympathetic, damsel in distress look. "Please…Cid, I really need your help."

He put his hands on his hips and shook his head as he started pacing again. "If we get caught freeing a wild animal, we could get thrown in jail, you know."

"I know. But we have to do this. It's extremely, extremely important. Please…" I begged again, willing to get on my hands and knees if I had to.

"What's the big deal if the leopard's in a zoo? Cloud could go and visit it any time he wants. It'll probably be taken care of a lot better than that idiot Chocobo farmer can manage."

"No. He can't stay there. You have to trust me on this one, Cid."

Cid stopped pacing again and looked up at the ceiling as he released a long sigh. "That damned kid is gonna owe me big time for this one." He walked to the bar and grabbed a pad of white paper and a pen.

Yuffie and I got up and stood on either side of him as he started writing things down.

"Okay, this is what we're gonna need."

I raised my eyebrows at something on the list. "A nondescript van with no plates?"

"Yes. If we have to make a fast getaway, we don't want anything that'll be easily described and identified."

"But what about your ship, Cid? Won't it be a lot easier and faster?"

Cid shrugged rather sheepishly. "I kinda blew the engine the other day. It needs an overhaul and I really need Spike to help me."

I nodded. "Well, I'm sure Cloud will be glad to help you once we get him…I mean, the leopard out of the zoo."

"Okay." He handed a list of things to Yuffie and another list to me. "We meet back here at 8:00 tonight."

I took care of getting the van. One of my customers owned a bakery and he had a plain white van with no markings on it that was used for deliveries. Luckily he didn't ask me why I needed it. Back at the bar, I unscrewed the license plates off the front and back.

Yuffie returned at 7:30. She found the items she had been in charge of: three black jumpsuits and three black ski masks.

Cid arrived a little while later. He threw a tool box into the back of the van. He also had a large case about five feet long.

"What's in there?" I curiously asked.

He opened the case and pulled out a shotgun from inside.

"No, Cid, no way."

"Look, Tifa, I don't know that animal. If it tries to attack one of us, I'm fuckin' shooting it."

"It won't attack. It's as gentle as a kitten, I swear."

"Yeah, right."

"You won't need it, Cid. I know that animal just as much as I know Cloud." It was the truth.

"All right, but I'm leaving it in the van."

"Fine."

We put on the black jumpsuits and ski masks. The three of us looked like we were about to infiltrate some secret base.

Cid got behind the wheel of the van and we were soon off to break a leopard out of the Midgar Zoo.

As I sat in the front passenger seat, I stared out the window, thinking about the cold pen poor Cloud was being forced to live in. Sharing it with two other leopards, complete strangers to him. Recalling how he desperately called out after seeing me this morning sent shivers up and down my spine and tears quickly filled my eyes. He was suffering in that enclosed habitat and wanted to get out so badly.

"Hey…what's up with you?" asked Cid beside me.

I turned to him. "Huh?"

"What's with the tears all of a sudden?"

I wiped at my eyes and shrugged. "I just miss Cloud." I didn't really know what else to say.

**

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**

MIDGAR – the past

As soon as my feet touched the ground, I rolled and jumped up, quickly unstrapping the latches belonging to the parachute. Cloud landed beside me and also removed his parachute. He had timed our landing perfectly. We were near the back entrance of the Shinra building. Cid, Barret and Vincent soon joined us.

Remembering what Cait Sith said about Heidegger expecting us, we decided going underground through the railway tunnels was the safest route.

Until we ran into the Turks…

"You people are like old, tarnished gil you just can't get rid of," said Reno with sarcasm.

Elena held up her fists. "Our orders are to seek you out and kill."

Reno casually leaned against the wall and folded his arms. "You wanna go by, no problem. Go ahead."

Elena dropped her fists and glared at him. "What're you doing?! We're Turks! We can't let them go!"

Rude shrugged. "Shinra's finished. We don't have to follow orders anymore."

As we slowly made our way passed them, Cloud kept his buster sword held up and Barret was still ready with his gun arm. But surprisingly the Turks made no move to stop us. However, that didn't mean they wouldn't alert Heidegger or anyone else for that matter.

We quickly made our way through a number of tunnels before reaching the end of the railroad tracks. It was a dead end so we had no choice but to climb up to the outside again. A small courtyard spread out before us. And standing several yards away was a giant red robot with four arms. Somehow they had known we'd end up here. It was no surprise…the Turks practically led us in this direction.

Barret pointed needlessly. "What in the bloody hell is that!?"

The robot took several steps closer and a panel opened up on its face. Sitting side by side in plush seats were Heidegger and Scarlet.

Heidegger laughed. "And here we are together again. Let's see how you do against anti-Weapon artillery!"

"You guys are worthless," Scarlet shouted. "My creation is a sure thing! I'll show you the destructive power of the Proud Clod!"

We readied ourselves for battle. Proud Clod had a nasty blast of flame he shot out of his knees and Yuffie was constantly casting a healing spell to keep us alive. We hit it with everything we had.

In the end it was Cloud's summoning of the Knights of the Round that did in the giant robot. Proud Clod exploded, taking Heidegger and Scarlet with it. That was the end of them at last.

Cloud didn't waste any time celebrating their demise. He headed into the building. We all followed him.

We entered an enormous engine room and ran across several catwalks until we ended up on a platform with a large control panel. Sitting in front of it was none other than Professor Hojo.

"Hojo! Stop right there!" yelled Cloud.

"Oh…it's the failure," he said, not even turning around to acknowledge us.

"The least you could do is remember my name! It's Cloud!"

"Every time I see you, I...It just pains me that I had so little scientific sense...I evaluated you as a failed project. But you…ha, ha, ha…You are the only one that succeeded as a Sephiroth-clone." He shook his head. "I'm even beginning to hate myself for creating you."

"None of that matters...just stop this nonsense!"

Hojo finally spun around in his seat and faced us. "Nonsense?" He laughed. "Sephiroth is counting on a lot of energy. So I'm going to give it to him."

"Why're you doing this!? Why're you helping him!?"

"Quit asking me why, you moron." He turned his back to us again and continued pushing buttons on the control panel. "Energy level is at 83. It's taking too damned long. My son is in need of power and help." He raised a finger upward. "That's the only reason I'm doing it."

Cloud's jaw dropped alittle. "Your son?"

Hojo laughed maniacally. "He doesn't know yet. I can't imagine what he'll think when he finds out I'm his father?" He continued to laugh. "Always looking down on me like that. Trying to get me fired from Shinra!"

"Sephiroth is your son?"

"I offered the woman with my child to Professor Gast's Jenova Project. While Sephiroth was still in the womb, we took the cells of Jenova and…" He started laughing again, unable to finish what he was going to say.

"I can't believe you're the one behind all of this. The illusionary crime against Sephiroth..."

Hojo stopped laughing and faced Cloud. "No! You're wrong! It's my desire as a scientist! I... I've been defeated in the past…but no more. I've injected Jenova's cells into my own body! Here are my results!" He tossed two balls on either side of him, conjuring up two creatures I had never seen before.

It was time for another fight.

While I handled one of the creatures with Lightning and Fire, Vincent caste Comet and four of them came down on the second creature. Cloud wanted Hojo to himself and we let him handle the demented scientist. Unfortunately Hojo had an invisible barrier that Cloud couldn't seem to penetrate with either sword or materia.

Strangely enough, as soon as the two lab experiments were killed, Hojo suddenly morphed into a seven foot giant thing. It was so hideous I couldn't even describe it.

Cloud slashed at it first before the rest of us hit it with weapons and materia spells. This deformed Hojo was no match for all of us. He had underestimated our abilities and was about to lose another battle.

In the end, the creature disappeared, replaced by Hojo's battered and bloodied body.

Cloud rushed over to the control panel and started slamming his sword down on it, sending pieces and sparks flying into the air.

As if someone had turned off a switch, the entire engine room slowly powered down until there was complete silence.

Barret heaved a sigh of relief. "Well, that's the end of the cannon. It won't overheat and destroy Midgar."

I walked over to Cloud as he stared at the demolished control panel. When I touched his shoulder he jumped and then relaxed. "Let's go, Cloud. We have to find Sephiroth."

He nodded and we all left the way we came.

In hindsight, one of us should have checked to make sure Hojo was dead. And we'd later regret that minor detail.

_

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_

I love to read your feedback, so please let me hear from you.


	26. Chapter 26

_Author's Note – I know the 'Cloud and Tifa scene under the Highwind' didn't go the way I wrote it below. I changed it around. Plus I was a bit confused about how everybody was able to go home SOMEHOW while the Highwind remained with Cloud and Tifa, so I sort of changed that around a bit too._

**

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**

Chapter 26

**MIDGAR – the present**

Cid parked the van along the side of a deserted road at the back of the park. We got out and Cid grabbed some things from his toolbox in the back.

Up a steep hill was a tall chain link fence. We struggled up the hill and crouched near the fence.

"I guess this is as good a place as any," Cid said as he pulled wire cutters out of his pocket.

Yuffie and I waited patiently as he cut the chain link fence until there was a large enough hole for each of us to crawl through.

The property at the back of the zoo was covered with trees so close together that we had to squeeze our way through most of the time. It was dark and even with Cid's flashlight, the single beam was hardly enough to light the way.

When we finally came across a dirt path between the elephant and giraffe exhibits, we ran down along the path until we reached asphalt. This was one of the main paths used by visitors. After waiting a few minutes to make sure the coast was clear, we ran along the path, sticking to the shadows.

The sound of someone whistling a tune made the three of us quickly hop over some bushes and hit the dirt behind them. Beneath the bushes I could make out a pair of feet casually walking by. It was one of the security guards. He was whistling an ancient tune.

Yuffie made a disgusted snort.

Cid reached out and slapped a hand over her mouth to keep her quiet.

When the security guard disappeared around a corner, the three of us came out from behind the bushes and continued on.

"Which way to the predators?" asked Cid in a whisper.

Yuffie shrugged and so he turned to me.

"I don't know. Last time we were here, we came in through the front gate. I'm all twisted around"

Cid sighed in frustration and looked around. "Where's the goddamned park map?"

Just then I heard a distinctive roar. "Shhh, shhh. Listen."

The roar came again and Cid looked at me strangely. "What're we listening for?"

The roaring continued. It was Cloud. Somehow he already knew I was here. "That's him!"

"Are you sure?" Yuffie asked, not sounding convinced at all.

"I'm positive. Let's go." I headed in the direction of the roars, Cid and Yuffie following close behind me.

"I can't believe I'm fuckin' doin' this shit," Cid complained.

When I saw the sign leading to the Predators, I ran faster and finally reached the Leopard exhibit.

Cloud came bounding over to the bars and as I hopped over the barrier, he grunted and happily licked my face.

"I know…I know. We're gonna get you out of here. Just sit tight." When I turned around, Cid was staring at me strangely again. "What? I told you I know him." I motioned him to come closer. "Come on, Cid. Do your stuff. Get him out."

Cid let out a deep sigh and glanced around, studying the iron bars. "I can't cut through these bars without a torch. Isn't there a gate or something somewhere?"

Yuffie hopped over the barrier, carrying the flashlight. "Let's go, people. We don't have time to form a committee."

I glanced at Cloud, who was trying to get my attention with his paw. He paced a couple of times and then turned toward the back of the habitat. "Hey, it must be on the other side."

The three of us hopped back over the barrier and passed several other Predator exhibits before rounding a corner. There was a building attached to the back of the habitats. The door was locked, of course.

Cid pulled out another tool from his pocket and while I held the flashlight, he worked on picking the lock. Yuffie kept her eyes peeled for the security guard. When the door unlocked, the three of us silently snuck in and closed the door behind us.

Inside the building were iron barred cages, as wide across as the exhibits were on the outside, except these cages were just plain concrete and had no environmental features.

"I don't think this is gonna work from in here," Cid said as he looked around. "Which one's the fuckin' leopard cage?"

Just then Cloud came into one of the cages through a dark tunnel on the back wall.

I grabbed Cid's arm. "Over there!"

Cid rushed over to the gate and grabbed his tools. I stood beside him with the flashlight while Yuffie stood at the door ready to warn us if anybody approached. As Cid worked on the lock, Cloud came over and reached a paw through the bars.

Cid jumped back and dropped his tools.

"Cid, he's not gonna hurt you," I tried to assure.

"Yeah, bullshit! That thing just tried to take my arm off!"

I reached through the bars and ruffled the fur on Cloud's head. "See? He's just a big kitten. Honest."

Cloud responded with an angry hiss, obviously not liking that I was referring to him as a kitten.

I turned to address Cloud and whispered through the side of my mouth.. "Keep your paws in the cage. You're freaking him out."

Cloud backed away and kept his distance, pacing along the back wall.

After a moment, Cid picked up his tools and went back to work on the lock, every once in awhile looking up to make sure the big cat wasn't coming after him again.

"Come on, Cid, come on," I urged.

"Shut up! I'm going as fast as I can! This fucker's a little tricky." Just then we heard a clicking sound. "Got it!"

I yanked the door open and Cloud immediately jumped out, scaring Cid again. Yuffie nearly let out a scream when the leopard came bounding toward her. But Cloud immediately stopped, probably realizing he was scaring her.

I ran up ahead and pushed the door open. "Come on, let's go!"

Cloud ran out first and the rest of us followed. He started to run in the direction of the front gate.

"No!" I yelled out to him. "This way!"

Cloud skidded to a stop and turned to follow. Cid and Yuffie ran ahead and I ran with Cloud, keeping my hand on his neck. We made our way along the asphalt, searching for the path we came in from.

"Hey you! Stop!"

We all froze and turned to the source of the voice. A security guard was running toward us, waving his flashlight.

"Go!" yelled Cid. "Go, go, go!"

We all turned and ran.

"Stop!" yelled the guard.

We kept going. I could hear him talking on his radio, calling for reinforcements.

"This is it!" yelled Yuffie as she located the dirt path between the elephant and giraffe exhibits.

Cloud didn't wait. He ran down the path and I ran after him.

"We're never gonna find the opening in the fence," Yuffie whined.

We heard the guard coming up fast behind us just as we went into the trees. Cid turned on the flashlight. Unfortunately it was like a beacon for the guard, but we couldn't see ahead of us without it. We made it down to the fence and started running along it, searching for the hole we cut out earlier. Cloud was running well ahead of us. And then I spotted the white van on the street below. Cloud found the hole and after crawling through, he scrambled down the hill.

Just then we heard a shot. A jeep was approaching, one guard driving and the other aiming a shotgun.

"No!" I screamed.

Cloud didn't wait for us. He bolted down the street. If the sides weren't so steep, he could have ran into the forest on the either side, but the jeep was catching up to him. Cid, Yuffie and I quickly headed down the hill and jumped into the van.

"Where're the keys?! Where're the keys?!" yelled Cid. Then he remembered and pulled them out of his pocket.

I prayed outloud. "Oh God, please, don't let them shoot him…please."

Cid turned to me. "Take the wheel!"

I jumped into the driver's seat and floored the accelerator. The van shot forward. I turned to see Cid moving to the back of the van. "What're you doing?"

"Just get ahead of that jeep!" he shouted back to me.

That would be easy. I wasn't about to let those idiot guards shoot Cloud. The jeep was up ahead and further ahead of it was Cloud, running full out. I passed the jeep, causing it to swerve and that's when Cid popped open the back door.

"Keep it steady!" he shouted.

I glanced into the rearview mirror and saw him aim the shotgun he had brought along. Seconds passed and then he fired. A quick glance in the side mirror and I saw the jeep swerve from side to side and then it ran off the road. Cid had shot the front tire.

"Good shot, Cid," Yuffie praised.

Cid came back up front and we quickly switched. As he took the wheel I rushed in back just as the van passed Cloud.

"Cloud…come on!" I yelled.

Cid slowed down long enough for the leopard to jump into the back of the van. Yuffie quickly closed the door and went to sit in front with Cid as he accelerated on.

Cloud was panting heavily and he plopped down wearily beside me.

I wrapped my arms around his neck and kissed his furry face. "You can change back, Cloud. It's safe now."

He rolled over on his back, exposing his belly to me.

I scratched him there briefly just to make him happy. "Okay, now quit goofing around. I brought clothes for you back here."

Cloud reached his paw up and playfully placed it on my face, his claws retracted. He gave a short roar.

"What's the matter?" I asked.

He got up and paced inside the back of the van.

Yuffie came back to sit with me. "What's going on?"

"I don't know. He's not changing back."

She suddenly snorted in skepticism. "Figures."

"You still don't believe that's Cloud, do you?"

"Well, it is a little hard to believe."

"Cloud, come over here."

The leopard slowly strolled over.

"Ask him something," I challenged Yuffie.

"Okay." Yuffie looked at the leopard. "How many letters are there in the name of my hometown?"

Cloud scratched his paw on the rug five times. Five letters in Wutai. Then he looked up into Yuffie's eyes with a soft roar.

Yuffie's mouth was wide open and she shook her head. "All right, I'm convinced."

I rubbed Cloud's neck. "Cloud, what's wrong? Why aren't you changing back?"

He roared at length, which was extremely loud in the small confines of the van.

"Oh my God, something's wrong. He can't change back." I looked at him. "What should we do? Tell me." I knew he wasn't going to suddenly start talking.

He roared agitatedly.

"What's going on back there?" Cid hollered from the front. "Make that damned thing shut up!"

Then it hit me. Jamal's words, something about the possibility of Cloud not being able to change back if he didn't heed the calling of the rainforest. "We need to go back," I mumbled.

Yuffie turned to me. "Huh?"

"We have to go back!"

"Back where? Back to the zoo? No way, I'm not going back."

"No. Back to the rainforest."

"What rainforest?"

"Where Cloud and I were stranded."

Her jaw dropped. "Are you nuts? Why would you wanna go back there after what happened to him?"

"We have to find Hojo."

Cloud roared, almost as if to acknowledge what I was saying.

"He turned Cloud into this. He can turn him back." I turned to Cloud. "Whatta you think, Cloud? Should we go back?" When Cloud came up and licked my face, I knew it was the right decision.

Yuffie cringed. "Oh man, Cid is gonna fuckin' freak."

**

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**

JUNON – the present

Two days later, Cid and I walked up to a man standing at the bottom of a gangplank, looking at something on a clipboard. The freighter behind him was named _The Crimson Belle_.

"Mr Draven?" asked Cid.

"That's me," replied the tall man with the salt and pepper hair, a small smile on his face.

Cid was wearing dark sunglasses to disguise himself. From what, I didn't know. "We talked on the phone. You mentioned a hundred thousand gil. No questions asked."

"That's right. Twenty-five thousand now and the rest when we reach the coast of the Icicle Area."

Cid went into his pocket and pulled out a manila envelope. He handed it to Draven.

Draven opened the envelope and ran his thumb over the stack of bills inside. "Okay. Get on board. We shove off in fifteen minutes."

I walked toward the gangplank and let out a whistle. Cloud bounded out from behind some crates, followed by Yuffie. I watched the expression on Draven's face as the big cat ran passed him and headed up the gangplank.

Cid smiled at him. "No questions asked." Before walking away, he turned back to Draven. "By the way, I hope you have fresh meat on board. I'm sure you wouldn't want to suddenly discover a missing crew member or two." He laughed as he followed Yuffie and I up the gangplank.

We went below to the main hold and picked the furthest corner, surrounded by crates and away from prying eyes. Unfortunately the trip on the freighter from Junon to the northern continent would take three days because of the stops the freighter was making along the way. We had no other alternatives with Cid's airship being out of commission and the air space over the rainforest being restricted.

During the trip, we kept Cloud well-fed on raw meat supplied by the ship's cook. Cid paid hefty amounts of money for the food, but it was necessary. I also kept Cloud busy in the hold, making him run around, jumping up and down the crates, keeping his mind off the long boring hours that passed. The last thing I needed was for him to be so bored that he'd decide to take a stroll topside and scare the living daylights out of the crew.

On the last day of the trip, Cloud and I just finished chasing each other through the maze of crates and I plopped myself down on the sleeping bag I'd been using as a bed. Cloud plopped down in front of me, panting heavily. I ran my fingers through his fur, rubbing along his entire back. When I looked up, Cid was watching me from where he was leaning against the wall.

He lit a cigarette and glared at me. "You convinced me to break that leopard out of the zoo and convinced me that we have to bring him to the rainforest, which just so happens to be the same rainforest you and Cloud go lost in. Somehing's not right, Tifa. There's something you're not telling me."

"Like what?"

"I don't know, like why you keep calling that animal Cloud."

Uh oh. "Am I?" I thought I was being as careful as possible. I couldn't come up with reasonable explanation without making Cloud sound so conceited that he'd name his pet after himself.

"Stop answering my questions with questions, Teef. I wanna know what the fuck's going on. I wanna know why this leopard means so much to you. I wanna know why we're taking it to the rainforest. And on top of all that, I wanna know what the fuck happened to you and Cloud besides running into our old friend Hojo."

Cloud turned his head in Cid's direction and roared agitatedly.

Cid pointed a finger at him. "You keep out of this."

I took a deep breath and proceeded to tell Cid everything and Cid listened quietly, not saying a word, but I was sure he wasn't buying any of it.

At the end, he raised his eyebrows and sighed heavily. "Okay, well, that explains a lot."

Cloud gave a disgruntled roar and crawled behind me on the sleeping bag.

I reclined next to him, using his stomach for a pillow. "I know it's hard to believe, Cid, but I wouldn't be fabricating such an elaborate paranormal story if it wasn't true. I can't explain how it happened. I just know that it did and Hojo has to undo it." I reached back to scratch Cloud's chin and he licked my hand and arm affectionately.

A few minutes later Yuffie returned from her fact finding mission. "Okay. I talked to a couple of the guys in the crew. They gave me the name of a guy who owns a boat that makes routine trips along the river between the northern continent and the rainforest. They didn't know how far in the guy goes, but they know for a fact that he'd make an extra trip for some decent gil."

"Perfect. Things are starting to look up for ya, right, kid?" He reached over to pet Cloud.

Cloud roared and snapped in his direction, causing Cid to quickly pull his hand back.

"Sure, that's gratitude for ya. I spring you out of that hellhole of a zoo and you try to take a couple of my fingers?" He angrily folded his arms over his chest and looked away with a frown.

I turned to Cloud. "That wasn't very nice, Cloud."

Yuffie smacked my arm and jabbed her eyes toward Cid. "Tifa, stop calling him Cloud."

"It's okay, Cid knows. I told him."

After a moment of silence, Cloud moved away from me and crawled over to Cid. Before Cid could cower away, Cloud tried to nuzzle his face and gave him an accidental head-butt. Then he licked his face.

Cid pushed Cloud's head away. "Yeah, yeah. Alright, I love ya, too, man." He shook his head as Cloud moved back to lie beside me again. "This is some fuckin' weird freak show. But hey, we've seen worse, right?"

I smiled at him. "Let's get some sleep. We've got a long day tomorrow." I rolled over on my side to face Cloud's head and buried my fingers into his fur. His steady breathing and steady heartbeat lulled me to sleep.

**

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ABOARD THE HIGHWIND – the past

The bridge of the Highwind was unusually quiet with everyone lost in their own thoughts about what to do next.

Cloud was staring out of the window, at the progressively growing ball hurtling toward the planet at what appeared to be slow motion. He stepped away and started walking toward me. "How long do we have, Red?"

"Seven more days. That's what Grandfather said."

He turned to Red. "You wanna see everyone in Cosmo Canyon again?"

"Yes."

Cloud turned to Barret. "You want to see Marlene, right?"

Barret gave a disgruntled snort. "Don't ask me that."

"I don't mean to be the voice of doom here. But even if we beat Sephiroth, if we don't release the power of Holy in seven days, then there won't be a planet left to protect. If we can't beat Sephiroth, we're as good as dead anyway. We'll just be going a few days sooner than the rest of the world who'll die from Meteor."

Barret whirled on him. "You're already thinkin' we're gonna lose before we even fight!"

"No! It's not what I meant…" Cloud scratched the back of his head in frustration. "What I'm trying to say is, what are we all fighting for? I want us all to dig deep. Yeah, we wanna save the planet for the future of the planet. But is that it? For me, this is a personal feud. I want to beat Sephiroth and settle my past. I have nothing else to fight for. But all of you have someone...something. Whatever it is that's important to you. That's what we're fighting for. That's why we keep up this battle for the planet."

Barret shrugged. "You're right...It sounds cool sayin' it's to save the planet. But I was the one who blew up that Mako Reactor...Lookin' back on it now, I can see that wasn't the right way to do things. A lot of my friends and innocent bystanders suffered. At first, it was revenge against Shinra. For attackin' my town. But now...Yeah, I'm fightin' for Marlene. For Marlene's future. I guess I want to save the planet for Marlene's sake."

Cloud walked over to him. "Then I think you should go and see her." He turned to face the others. "That goes for the rest of you. Get off the ship and find out your own reasons. Then when you come back, we'll finish what we started with Sephiroth."

Cid shook his head. "Maybe none of us'll be coming back. Meteor's gonna kill us anyway."

"I won't hold it against you if you don't come back."

Everyone filed out of the cockpit, leaving Cloud and I alone with Cid at the controls.

Cloud turned to me "What are you going to do, Tifa?"

"I don't have anywhere to go. I'm alone, I guess." I started to walk away and nearly jumped when Cloud came up and took my hand.

"You're not alone. I'm here."

Later on, Cid dropped Cloud and I at the northern crater before he left in the Highwind with the others.

Cloud and I sat together on a sleeping bag on top of a hill overlooking the crater.

"They're all going home," I said quietly.

"Yeah, we don't have anywhere or anyone to go home to."

I scooted closer to him and he wrapped an arm around my shoulder as I leaned against him. "They'll come back, don't you think?"

"Everyone has something that's irreplaceable. They're holding on to it."

I wrapped my arms around his torso and snuggled closer. "It's all right if no one comes back. As long as I'm with you...As long as you're by my side...I won't give up even if I'm scared."

"Tifa..."

"No matter how close we are...it still seems as though we're far apart. When we were in the Lifestream surrounded by all those screams of anguish, I thought I heard your voice." Tears burned my eyes and I wasn't sure why I wanted to cry. Maybe because this could be the end. "I heard you calling my name…or at least I thought I did."

Cloud reached down and tilted my face up. "I heard you, Tifa. You were trying to call me back from Lifestream. After all, I did make a promise. I promised I'd come to your rescue if anything ever happened to you."

I smiled at him as he wiped the tears from my cheeks.

"But I think it's been the other way around. You've been saving me." His glowing eyes remained locked on me. "There's so many things I wanted to talk to you about. But now that we're alone like this, I don't know what I really wanted to say." He frowned in frustration. "I guess nothing's changed."

"Words aren't the only thing that tell people what you're thinking..." I said.

Cloud dragged me down on the sleeping bag. "I couldn't have said it better myself." He kissed me slowly.

Even though the night air near the crater was chilled, we kept each other warm inside the sleeping bag.

Sometime later, Cloud stirred beside me. "It's almost dawn..."

"Hmm?" I mumbled against the side of his neck.

"Sorry for waking you. But it's almost dawn."

"Not yet, Cloud. Just a little while longer. We may never have another moment..."

Cloud kissed me. "Yeah, could be the last time we're together."

I didn't want to think about it. I hugged him tightly and fell back asleep.

When morning came, I didn't want to move. Lying in the sleeping bag with Cloud was so warm and comfortable.

"We better get up," Cloud said in a groggy voice.

"Do we have to?"

"Time to save the world."

Before I could sit up, Cloud rolled over on top of me inside of the sleeping bag. "How about one more time?" He didn't give me a chance to protest. Not that I would have anyway.

Right in the middle of reaching completion, I rolled my head back and cried out in pleasure. And that's when I realized the Highwind was floating directly above us. I let out a yelp. "Cloud!"

Cloud ignored me and kept right on going until he finished with a groan of satisfaction.

I pushed him off and tried to fix my clothes while I was still inside the sleeping bag.

A minute later Cloud noticed the Highwind. "Cid's back."

"I noticed, thank you very much."

After we gathered our things, we proceeded to climb the ladder and boarded the Highwind.

"Cid!" Cloud called out.

We headed up to the bridge, expecting to just find Cid. But Barret, Red XIII, Vincent and Cait Sith were all gathered.

"You're all here!" I exclaimed.

Cid grinned, a cigarette clenched in his teeth. "Yup, been here for awhile now."

My cheeks instantly reddened as I recalled what Cloud and I had been doing only a few minutes ago. For awhile? How long? "Were you watching?"

Cid casually leaned on the ship wheel. "Us? Nope…didn't know what was goin' on down there."

Barret wasn't looking at me, which revealed a lot. When he was embarrassed he couldn't look me in the eye. "So, looks like everyone's here."

"Yuffie's missing," Red pointed out.

"She ain't gonna show up. At least this time she ain't stealin' our materia. Guess we gotta be thankful for that.

"How could you say that!?" The young ninja suddenly hopped down from a beam on the ceiling. "I came all the way here after being seasick as a dog! I didn't go through all that just to have you guys take the best parts all to yourselves!"

"Welcome back, Yuffie," Cloud said.

Yuffie gave him a strange look. "Gee, Cloud...that's so nice of you to say that. You sick or something?"

Cloud shrugged. "Thanks for coming back, everyone."

"We didn't come back for your spiky headed ass!" Barret protested. "We came back for our own reasons."

Cid took a drag from his cigarette. "Anyone here wanna bail? Now's your chance."

No one responded.

Cloud looked at everyone before his eyes landed on me. "Okay. Let's go!"

_

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Please leave feedback. Thanks.


	27. Chapter 27

_Author's Note – Sorry for the delay in getting this chapter out. After re-reading it for spelling and grammatical errors, I realized the final chapter of the past was missing something. I went back and watched the walkthrough on YouTube. I know I haven't placed much emphasis on any of the fights in previous chapters and that's because the game is turn-based, with three of the characters taking turns hitting the monsters with whatever you choose and then the monster(s) hit back. It goes back and forth until you defeat the thing(s). It's exciting to play, but not easy to describe in a story. But anyway, I decided I needed to add a bit more flavor to the fighting in this chapter since it is the most important battle in the whole game. _

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Chapter 27

**ABOARD THE CRIMSON BELLE – the present**

In the middle of the night, I woke with a start, finding myself alone on the sleeping bag. I sat up and looked around for Cloud. He was nowhere in sight. Cid was snoring loudly near the wall and Yuffie was asleep a few feet away.

It wasn't unusual for Cloud to wander away to take care of certain bodily functions, afterall he couldn't be rude in front of us and go wherever he felt like it.

I laid down again and tried to fall back asleep. But as the time stretched on, I realized Cloud wasn't returning. I slowly got up and wrapped the sleeping bag around myself. I prayed that Cloud hadn't decided to wander out of the ship's hold. After picking up Cid's flashlight, I walked around through the maze of crates.

The sound of heavy breathing made me freeze in my tracks. Then another sound reached my ears, the sound of crackling bones. Both sounds were familiar to me. I rushed in the direction of the sounds and came around several crates. The beam from the flashlight fell upon Cloud, right in the process of transforming back into a human.

"Cloud…" I rushed over and dropped to my knees as his eyes turned in my direction. I threw my arms around his shivering body, hugging him tightly and wrapping the sleeping bag around both of us.

He hugged me back. "I don't…I don't know what happened…to me. I couldn't change back." His voice was really hoarse and he coughed to clear his throat.

"I know. It's okay." I wrapped the sleeping bag tighter around us and kissed every inch of his face. "I'm so sorry for starting that stupid fight the other day."

"I'm sorry, too."

"I'll never bring up the subject again. Will you ever forgive me?"

"Tifa, you were right. If I had just been honest from the beginning, it would have been behind us by now. I'll never lie to you again." He drew away and looked down. "I don't blame you if you don't believe me. I messed up and I'll need to work hard to gain your trust again." He looked up and gazed into my eyes with determination. "But I'll do it. I swear."

I shook my head. "It doesn't matter anymore. I don't care. I love you. Nothing else matters."

We hugged again.

Cloud held my head against his shoulder briefly before tilting my face upward to capture my lips in a fierce kiss. "I'm so glad you got me out of that zoo."

"I knew you didn't like there."

"I overheard the zookeepers. They wanted me to breed with the two females in there with me."

I pulled back and stared at him. "And?"

"And what? I wouldn't let them get within ten feet of me. They kept their distance."

I felt guilty for nearly jumping to the conclusion that Cloud would have done…Oh, what in the world was I even thinking such a bizarre thing? I was just glad her turned back, which reminded me. "How come you were able to change back now?"

He shook his head. "The only thing I can think of is that we must be getting closer to the rainforest."

That particular fact only confirmed what Jamal had said. If Cloud stayed away from the rainforest too long then he would slowly begin to lose his ability to change back to human.

Leaving the sleeping bag wrapped around him, I stood up. "Come on. I've got some clothes for you to wear."

"Not yet." Cloud took my hand and pulled me down, maneuvering me to straddle his lap. He kissed me again and fumbled between us, trying to undo my shorts. "I want you, Tifa…right now."

I didn't protest. Cloud always got his way when it came to that.

A little while later, with the sleeping bag wrapped below his waist, he followed me around the crates, heading in the direction of our small camp in the hold.

The smell of tobacco made me sigh. It meant Cid was awake. When Cloud and I rounded the corner, sure enough, the pilot was sitting up against the crates, eying the two of us almost suspiciously.

Yuffie was still sound asleep, curled up against the wall.

I grabbed the black trousers I had stuffed in my backpack and handed them to Cloud.

Feeling no bashfulness in front of Cid, Cloud dropped the sleeping bag and slid his legs into the trousers. After zipping up, he took the white teeshirt I handed him next and slipped that on over his head. Then he sat down with his back against the wall and his arms resting on his bent knees. He was looking at Cid, waiting for him to say something.

Cid took a long drag from his cigarette. "Why the hell'dya try to rip off my arm back at the zoo?"

"I wasn't trying to hurt you," Cloud replied defensively. "I was just trying to help you with the lock."

"What about a few hours ago? I was gonna touch you and you snapped at me."

Cloud shrugged innocently. "You know I don't like to be touched, Cid. Makes me squeamish."

"Yeah? How come she can touch you?" he said, motioning his head in my direction.

As I stuffed some things back into my backpack, I looked from each of their faces as they bantered back and forth.

"She's different. I don't sleep with _you_."

"Well…let's just keep it that way."

I sat down beside Cloud, scooting as close to him as I could.

"So now what?" asked Cid, snuffing out his cigarette on the metal floor.

"I don't wanna live like this, Cid. I want this shit out of me."

"Mind if I ask why you didn't see it fit to tell the rest of us what really happened?"

"I didn't think it was necessary. Now you and Yuffie know and that's bad enough."

Cid rolled his eyes in frustration. "What makes you think we'd judge you in some negative way because of what happened?"

"I should never have let it happen."

"What the fuck makes you so goddamned scared to let any of us see what you think makes you weak? Wake up, Spike. None of us are invincible, not even you. We're involved in each other's personal affairs because we all care about one another." He angrily grabbed for his pack of smokes. "That's the way it needs to be."

"I don't want anyone else to know," Cloud insisted, raising his voice.

Cid held up his hands. "Fine. My lips are sealed." He lit another cigarette. "We'll do what we gotta do and get you fixed up."

Yuffie stirred and stretched. When she opened her eyes, they quickly widened. "Cloud!" She launched herself out of her sleeping bag and accidentally tackled him in her rush to give him a hug. "I'm sorry, Cloud. I didn't mean to start a fight between you and Tifa. I…I thought…"

"Yuffie, it's okay. It's over with. Just shut up about it."

She nodded and scooted away, sitting beside Cid against the crate. "We're still going after Hojo, aren't we?"

No one said anything. None of us had a plan. We would be making it up as we went.

**

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THE RIVER BEWEEN THE NORTHERN CONTINENT AND THE RAINFOREST – the present

Captain Paul Kohler was deeply tanned, with a face full of deep pits. But he had a genuinely friendly smile, with a half dozen gold teeth. While Cid negotiated the terms with Kohler, I watched Cloud visually inspect the boat at the dock. The plan was to get the man to agree to go deep into the river and the guys had rehearsed some lines before we left the freighter.

Cloud shook his head. "This boat is a piece of junk, Cid. Let's go find somebody else."

Kohler frowned. "Now hold on a minute there, son. This boat has made more trips along the river than there are days between leap years."

"Oh yeah?" Cloud challenged. "I bet she can't take us in deep."

"How deep are you looking to go?"

Cloud stepped up beside Cid. "Deep enough to find us some endangered wildlife."

"That's about 500 hundred miles in." Kohler cocked an eye at Cloud. "Maybe you don't know it, but the wildlife on the south side of the river is protected. You lookin' to do some hunting?"

"No hunting, just looking." Cloud turned to the boat again. "I don't think that bucket of bolts can take us 500 hundred miles in."

"Depends on how much it's worth to you folks. The outside of my boat could use some refurbishing."

Cid grinned, a cigarette clenched between his teeth. "How much would it take to refurbish this shit hauler?"

Kohler rubbed his stubbly chin. "Sixty thousand gil."

"How long will it take to go 500 hundred miles in?" asked Cloud.

"About seven or eight hours."

Cloud exchanged a glance with Cid before turning back to the captain. "Fine. You got yourself a refurbish, pal."

"Then hop on board."

Yuffie and I joined Cloud and Cid and we walked across the ramp in single file to board the boat.

Earlier we had gone shopping for some necessities at a couple of the local shops across the street.

Cloud took one of the bags from me and as we sat at the back of the boat, he started pulling things out. When he came across a pair of pink shorts, he tossed them at Cid. "Those are probably for you."

"Fuck you, man." Cid threw the shorts back at him.

Yuffie grabbed them from Cloud. "These are mine, dipshits."

Kohler pulled the ramp on board and a young kid on the dock untied the boat and threw the ropes in.

"Hey, Cap, got any beer?" Cid asked Kohler as the man came by.

"I don't want you youngsters thinking this is some kind of party boat." He walked away.

Cid turned back to us with a shake of his head. "Shit, I asked him for a beer. Not like I asked him for a fucking shot of heroine. And who the hell's he calling a youngster anyway?!"

Cloud sighed and got up. "I can tell this is gonna be a real fun trip."

I immediately got up and followed him. He stopped to stand at the side of the boat as it was slowly leaving the dock.

Once the boat was far enough away, Kohler opened up the engine and we shot forward with surprising speed. In a matter of seconds we had reached the mouth of the river that separated the northern continent from the rainforest.

Cloud's eyes followed the thick line of trees on the south side as we started heading west along the river. He took a deep breath and slowly released it.

"You're feeling better, aren't you?" I asked.

"Yeah, I am. And that's pretty unsettling."

"The last time we were here, we were knocked out when the cannibals captured us. And when we escaped, we wandered the rainforest for weeks. How're we ever going to find that damned village?"

"I can find it," he replied with confidence. "I can smell the bastards a hundred miles away."

Like clockwork, the sky suddenly opened up and poured rain down on us. Luckily the boat had a top. But that wasn't much protection when the wind was blowing so hard and the rain was coming down sideways.

While Kohler remained at the wheel near the front of the boat, the rest of us huddled in the center near some crates full of boat supplies to get out of the rain.

The sound of the rain was lulling and soon Yuffie was sound asleep near Cid.

Cloud put an arm around me with a sigh.

I couldn't help myself. I reached up to turn his face toward me and kissed him. As he reciprocated, I scooted to sit sideways on his lap and slipped my arms around his neck. Just a simple kiss turned into something hungrier and more passionate. We were oblivious to anyone else.

"Oah, for Shiva's sake, will you two get a fuckin' room?" Cid whined.

Cloud pulled away from me and turned to Cid. "Don't you have anything better to do, like jerk off at the front of the boat or something?"

I covered my mouth to stop myself from laughing at Cloud's rude comment.

Cid shook his head, pretending to be insulted. "Nice, real nice. See how he talks to me?"

The time on the boat passed slowly. There was nothing to see along the river, just trees, trees and more trees. Some wildlife appeared every once in awhile. I had seen enough of it during my last visit.

We kept ourselves entertained with jokes and poker games with Captain Kohler. He told some very outlandish sailor stories. I had a mind to tell him our AVALANCHE adventures, but I knew Cloud didn't want that kind of recognition, so I kept quiet.

About five hours into the trip, Cloud got up in the middle of a card game and went to stand at the side of the boat, facing the south bank of the river.

"Hey," griped Cid. "Where the hell're you goin'?"

"Maybe he needs to take a leak," Yuffie presumed.

I got up and went to stand beside Cloud. "What's wrong?"

He stared out into the trees. "Jamal is out there. He's watching us."

"How do you know?"

Cloud pointed to his nose in response.

Of course. His sense of smell had been heightened ever since his transformation. "Do you think he knows it's us?"

"Fairly certain of it."

We were quickly losing daylight and as I peered out at the rainforest, all I could see was black. A chill shot up my spine at the memory of the pitch blackness Cloud and I had been forced to sleep in during the nights in the rainforest…always fearful that something or someone was lurking in the darkness and waiting for us to make a wrong move.

Just then it started pouring again.

"What the fuck is with this rain?" Cid suddenly barked. "Every fuckin' hour, it rains!"

**

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NORTH CRATER – the past

We all slid down into the crater and followed a path that led deeper down into the bowels of the chasm. The path hugged the round gorge and at times there were gaps we had to jump across to keep going. It was a lengthy process because we spent hours and hours defeating creatures that seemed to know our destination. Was Sephiroth summoning them to stop us from reaching him?

The crater was like an endless labyrinth of caves….and the days ticked on as we found chambers with treacherous passes. At one point we nearly lost Cait Sith's moogle when he stepped wrong and fell. Luckily there had been another ledge below to stop him from plummeting into the dark abyss.

The further we went, the deeper into the core of the planet we found ourselves.

Time was running out. Meteor would crash into the planet in three more days. It was taking too long.

On the four day of our infiltration of the Northern Cave, we came across a chamber that branched off in four other directions. So we decided to split up into four groups: Cloud and I; Cid and Red XIII; Barret and Cait Sith; Vincent and Yuffie.

Cloud looked at his watch as we all synchronized our own. "We'll meet back here in exactly one hour. Hopefully one of these tunnels leads somewhere. Don't any of you die on me!"

Our group split up and went in different directions.

Cloud and I took the last tunnel and came to a chamber occupied by the largest tree I had ever seen. Its branches were wide enough for us to walk carefully across. Along the way we found some materia neither of us had ever used before. When Cloud tried it, it turned out to be a shield of some kind.

He handed it to me. "Here, you take it. I don't have anymore slots in my wrist guards or weapon. I can't equip anything else."

I took the Shield materia and followed Cloud as he continued on. Through an archway we entered a circular chamber with a small pool of Lifestream in the center. Thick shrubs grew along the walls all the way around. Cloud and I walked around and found more materia.

He tried it, but nothing happened. "Maybe it has to be used with something else." Since we weren't sure what the materia's purpose was, Cloud put it in his pocket.

In another chamber we had to climb a number of high ledges to get to the opening at the top. Cloud had become quite a jumper throughout our journey. He leapt from one ledge to another and then stretched to help me up, if I needed assistance.

Our search took us to a vast cavern where we had to carefully negotiate down a narrow path around a stone pillar. At the bottom we discovered several treasures, including some healing elixirs. I stored all of them in my pack.

Cloud looked at his watch and sighed as he looked at the path ahead leading to yet another chamber.

"Should we start heading back?" I asked.

"Let's just go through there real quick."

I followed Cloud into the next chamber. This one contained what looked like the skeletal remains of some giant creature. Cloud and I followed the spine down to a lower area. It was another circular chamber where the Lifestream bubbled in a pool in the middle. Besides the doorway we had come through, there were two others.

Cloud looked down into the pool. "This must be the center of the planet."

I touched his arm. "We should go back before the others think something happened to us."

He nodded and just as he turned, we could hear voices approaching. Seconds later, the rest of the gang entered the chamber through one of the other doorways.

"Looks like every path leads here," Cid concluded.

"There's only one doorway left for us to go through," I pointed out.

Cloud adjusted his wrist guards. "All right, everyone, let's mosey."

Cid guffawed. "Dammit, kid! Stop sayin' wimpy shit like that! Can't you say 'Move out!' or somethin'?"

Cloud bashfully scratched the back of his head and took a breath. "Okay, move out!"

Just then the floor above us started to shake and small pieces of stone rained down on us.

"What's that?" shouted Barret over the loud sound.

Cid tossed away his cigarette and twirled his harpoon. "Looks like we're about to have company! Motherfuckers are comin' out in full force!"

"Cloud!" Barret pointed to the opening we hadn't gone through yet. "You go on ahead!"

"No, I'm staying to fight here, too."

"Shuddup! It won't do us no good wit' everyone back here!"

Cid nodded in agreement. "Barret's right. Take two of us with you and go first. The rest of us'll catch up with ya later."

Cloud pointed to me and Yuffie and then looked at the others. "All of you! Later!"

Yuffie and I followed Cloud through the doorway. Minutes later we could hear the fighting we had left behind. Blasts from Barret's gun arm and Vincent's pistols echoed loudly around us. The strong smell of sulfur filled the air and I knew it was from both Fire and Lightning materia. Regardless of what he heard behind us, we continued forward.

The passageway ahead opened up in a vast cavern surrounded by the Lifestream. It was like we were in the center of an enormous waterfall of florescent green, surrounding a scattering of rocks that seemed to be floating all around.

The three of us took turns leaping from one rock to the other.

Along the way, huge creatures would materialize out of nowhere and we were forced to battle them in order to keep going. None of them were much of a challenge. We had gained so much fighting experience that the efforts of the enemy were hardly enough to do us any damage. Plus, Cloud discovered the purpose of the mystery materia. It allowed the user to cast two spells at the same time. That definitely came in handy.

When we finally reached an island in the center covered with different shaped tiles, we looked around for another passageway somewhere.

"Where are we...?" Cloud asked. "There's gotta be something else. This can't be it."

Yuffie gasped and pointed, her eyes wide. "Look there! Something's coming!"

A giant flesh-colored ball came at us. Then I realized what it was before Cloud even spoke.

"It's…it's some…some form of Jenova!" he stammered.

A torso stuck out of the ball and had two large appendages that lashed out, trying to knock us off our feet.

The three of us ran to surround the creature and took turns hitting it. Yuffie and I used Comet and Flare. In the meantime, Cloud using his athletic abilities to jump and slash at it with his sword, causing enough damage to distract it.

The creature didn't seem to be putting up much of a fight. It seemed rather odd to me. Could we be lucky enough to hope anything else we encountered would end up being just as weak?

We finished it off when I delivered two simultaneous Flares.

Before we could celebrate our victory, the tiles below our feet gave. The small island collapsed and we fell into the blazing green of the Lifestream.

My vision blurred for awhile and the next thing I knew I was lying on a red rock. I bolted upright and looked around. Everyone else was there, too. Each of us were on individual rocks surrounding a larger rock formation with a glowing light inside of it.

"Is everyone all right?" Cloud shouted. "Tifa!"

I stood up. "Yeah, I'm fine." I glanced around at the others who seemed to be fine. "I guess we all ended up together anyway."

There just wasn't a moment to rest. The rock formation at the center began to rumble and glow brighter. Just then all of us involuntarily floated into the air, hold immobile by an invisible grip.

I wasn't at all surprised when Sephiroth suddenly appeared in the center of the glowing rock.

"Sephiroth!" Cloud shouted.

Sephiroth waved a hand and sent us floating backward, just to prove that he had full control over our movements.

"My body...I can't control my body!" yelled Cid.

The madman waved his hand again. All of us lunged forward in a near collision with each other before plummeting backward again.

I felt as if my skin was about to peel away from my face and arms. The pain was excruciating. "Cloud!" I called out and tried desperately to turn toward him.

He was grimacing from the same pain we were all feeling. "It's there...Holy...is there...It's shining!"

Sephiroth let out a maniacal laugh as he continued to bounce us around at his will.

"Aeris's memories..." Cloud growled out in pain. "Our memories...The planet will…show us the answer! And Sephiroth…I'll be settling everything with you, too!"

A white light flashed. When it faded, I felt solid ground beneath my feet again. But I knew it wasn't over as I caught a glimpse of the creature taking form in front of us. It was another version of Jenova. This creature had a protruding stomach and two oversized arms ending in wingtips. The familiar torso of Jenova was at the highest point and its tentacled appendages waved around in agitation.

I glanced around and noticed Cloud, Yuffie and I were the only ones in the immediate vicinity. Cid, Barret and the others were trapped on a far off rock, unable to reach us to help fight the Jenova spawn.

Yuffie and I started the battle by attacking it with a skill we learned from an enemy we defeated in our travels. Pandora's Box was fatal to some creatures, but it only dealt half the damage to this hideous monster.

Jenova's stomach seemed to have some sort of healing abilities and each time one of its body parts died, it would miraculously regenerate.

We continued to pummel it with Pandora's Box spells and tossed in a few second level spells of Comet. In the meantime, Cloud hit it multiple times with Ultima. Each time he saw an opening, he jumped forward and repeatedly slashed the creature's stomach with his buster sword.

Fifteen minutes into the battle, the Jenova creature began to tilt to the right. It was starting to lose energy. The three of us hit it again with the Comet spell, which seemed to weaken it even more. Cloud dealt the final blow, leaping into the air and slamming his sword down on its head.

The Jenova spawn shivered and sputtered.

Cloud landed on his feet and somersaulted out of the way just as the creature blew up into a million pieces. We all ducked to avoid the disgusting spray of tattered flesh.

"Is it over?" whispered Yuffie, breathing heavily beside me.

Unfortunately not, I thought, as everything faded to black. A pinpoint of white appeared and grew progressively larger in a swirl of clouds. With it came an almost cheerful brightness. But there was nothing pleasant about the next spawn of Jenova that appeared in the center of the churning clouds. It had Sephiroth's upper body, with a large black wing instead of a right arm. But the rest of him belonged to something else. Where his legs should have been, there were six white wings, slowly flapping and keeping him afloat.

Cloud heaved a heavy sigh and raised his sword as we watched the creature caste a wall around itself for protection. Then it sent a shadow flare at us.

Even though I was knocked off my feet, I quickly learned the spell and sent it right back at him, shattering his wall, followed by a bombardment of comets. Cloud slashed at the wings and the Sephiroth mutation suddenly rose higher in the air, just out of his reach. Yuffie and I simultaneously sent more comets at him.

Just as we thought we were close to defeating him, the creature caste an unbelievable spell. Everything around us dissolved into the blackness of space, with millions of stars. We witnessed the birth of a comet soaring at great speed toward a galaxy. Along the way, it destroyed whatever planets laid in its path.

"Supernova," Cloud mumbled under his breath.

I turned to him. "What?" When he didn't reply, I turned back to the scene unfolding before us. The comet struck the sun with surprising force. At first it didn't look like anything was going to happen. But the sun suddenly began to grow. It grew and grew, familiar planets and moons disintegrating when it reached them.

A deafening sound filled the vast cavern as the sun continued to grow, nearly filling every inch of space. The intensity of its growth was threatening to knock us off our feet. Over the excruciating sound, I could hear poor Yuffie screaming in agony. The ball of fire fragmented and the force finally managed to throw us several feet away.

I felt completely drained and lacked the strength to move. Beside me laid Yuffie. She was out cold. From the corner of my eye, I saw a movement.

It was Cloud. He struggled to his feet. Barely able to raise his sword, he summoned enough strength to use one of his special skills…Bladebeam.

I turned my head and watched him slam his sword into the ground with incredible force, splitting the rock floor into five cracks that shot forward, spitting out static energy. The static beams struck the Sephiroth mutation, rending it momentarily immobile. Cloud slashed at the wings, over and over until he collapsed on the ground, no strength left in him.

But the damage had been done. The Sephiroth creature floated higher and higher until it reached the swirling clouds from where it came from. Little by little, it began to dissolve into millions of white feathers, blown away into nothing.

Everything went black and as it faded, all of us found ourselves back in the cavern before we had split up.

I checked on Yuffie who was lying sprawled out on the ground. After gently shaking her shoulder, she wearily sat up.

Cloud looked exhausted as he shook his head sadly. "This is it. We've done all we can."

"What about Holy?" asked Barret with determination. "What's gonna happen to the Planet?"

"I…I don't know. Isn't it up to the Planet now?"

I turned to Cloud. "You're right. There's nothing more for us to do here."

Cloud walked up to me and reached for my hand. Even though he was looking into my eyes, he addressed the others. "Let's all go home proud."

I glanced around as everyone picked themselves up and filed out of the cavern, leaving Cloud and I alone. When I turned back to Cloud, his eyes were closed and his brows were furrowed together. "What about us, Cloud? Where is home for us?"

A white light flashed and Cloud slowly backed away from me.

My stomach sank. Now what? "Cloud?"

Another white flash.

"I feel it..." he whispered.

"Feel what?

Another white flash.

"He's still...here. Still..." He dropped to his knees and bent forward, covering his head. "He's laughing at me!"

Just then a ghostly image of Cloud jumped out of his body and fell into the Lifestream, while he collapsed on the stone floor.

"Cloud!" I dropped down beside him and lifted his upper body onto my lap, shaking him by the shoulders. "Wake up, Cloud!"

I spent the next few minutes in a complete panic. He started shivering violently, his body going into convulsions. I literally had to throw my weight on top of him to keep him from bouncing off the side of the ledge into the Lifestream.

"Sephir…Sephiroth…" he croaked out in agony through chattering teeth.

I had no idea what was happening to him.

His arms flailed wildly around me, as if he was striking an invisible foe with his sword, which was lying on the ground ten feet away.

I fell backward trying to avoid his arms. "Cloud! Please…tell me what's happening to you?"

And then just as suddenly as it started, his convulsions ceased. The grimace on his face slowly faded to be replaced with a look of complete calm.

I panicked again…thinking he had died. of a heart attack I scrambled toward him again and frantically felt the side of his throat for a pulse. Tears sprang from my eyes when I felt its steady beat. He was still alive. I threw my arms around him and silently cried, willing him to wake up.

Just then the ground started to shake. Everything happened so quickly. The floor broke apart.

I lost my grip on Cloud and found myself on a ledge while the rest of the ground began sinking. "Cloud!" I shouted. "Cloud, wake up!"

As if a strange force was commanding him, Cloud slowly stood up on his feet, his eyes still closed. His right hand lifted and reached up.

I lowered myself to my knees and bent over the ledge, stretching to reach his hand. "Cloud! Reach for my hand!" Why wasn't he listening to me? Why wasn't he opening his eyes?

And at that second, Cloud's eyes drifted open. It took him a few seconds to realize what was happening all around him. He looked up at me and reached for my hand. The floor beneath him cracked between his feet. He hopped to his right and precariously balanced on what was left of the floor.

"Cloud!" Things quickly got worse when the ledge I was lying across suddenly shattered beneath me. I pitched forward and screamed as I fell. A second later, a pair of strong arms grabbed me around the waist.

When I opened my eyes, I was staring into Cloud's. He was holding me around the waist with his left arm and holding onto whatever remained of the ledge with his right hand. I hugged him tightly, selfishly thinking that if I was going to die, then there was no one else I would rather be with.

"Don't give up just yet, Tifa…" Cloud said, reading the morbid thoughts in my mind. He summoned all of his strength and pulled us upward.

As soon as I was able to, I reached up to the ledge and pulled myself over the side.

Cloud climbed up and collapsed beside me. "I defeated him, Tifa. Sephiroth…I did it."

I hugged him. "I'm glad, Cloud." I was glad because even if we were going to die now, at least he would die knowing he had done what he had originally set out to do. I couldn't have been more proud of him.

"Wonder what happened to the others," Cloud said

"Hey!"

We both turned toward the voice, seeing Barret waving to us from another ledge further up. With him were Cid, Vincent, Yuffie, Red XIII and Cait Sith. Everyone was alive.

"Whatta ya s'pose we do now, Spikey?"

Cloud didn't have an answer. There was no way to climb back up the crater. The path we had used to come down days ago had fallen apart.

"Holy should be moving soon and that means this place will..." Red said before being cut off by an earth-shattering roar.

The ceiling was starting to collapse, huge chunks of rock falling down into the Lifestream pool below.

I gasped when I realized the Highwind was falling into the crater.

Cloud grabbed me and covered me with his body as close to the crater wall as possible.

When the dust settled, the airship was resting on its side, its descent blocked by the ledges all around the lower crater wall. It was broken and battered, one of the propeller blades bent beyond repair.

Below it, the Lifestream was bubbling agitatedly. It was beginning to rise rapidly.

"Whatever we're gonna do, we better do it fast!" shouted Yuffie.

Cid waved his arms. "Everyone inside the ship!"

I didn't think it was a very wise decision, but if we didn't do something, we'd drown in the Lifestream when it reached us. Cloud and I hopped from ledge to ledge until we reached the airship at the same time as the others. Along the way Cloud picked up his buster sword which had miraculously survived all the falling debris.

Cid managed to open a hatch at the bottom of the Highwind and we all crawled through the opening. He slammed it shut just as the green luminescent Lifestream splashed over the ship.

**

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ABOARD THE HIGHWIND – the past

Everything inside the Highwind was on its side because of the way the ship was resting. After some great difficulty, Cid managed to lead us to the bridge.

But I didn't know what we could possibly do from there. The airship was no longer able to fly.

The ship suddenly began shaking violently and rolled completely over on its other side, sending all of us flying and slamming into the walls.

Another sudden lurch pushed the airship upward and we all fell again before we could regain our footing. Everyone tried to grab onto anything that didn't move.

From my safe spot against some seats, I stared out of the window, feeling as if I had left my stomach at the bottom of the chasm. We had shot out of the crater like a cannon blast and were now freefalling helplessly toward the ground. From the corner of my eye, I saw Cid desperately reaching for something beneath a flashing Emergency sign. He made a final grab and pulled a handle.

The ship suddenly flipped back upright.

Cid jumped to his feet and rushed to the wheel. He was in control again. Before anyone could ask, he said, "Secondary engines…in case of emergency. Brilliant, ain't it?!"

I scrambled to my feet, as did the others, and we ran to the windows. We watched a flash of green energy soaring through the sky and the ship was flying right beside it. "What is that?" I asked.

"It's Holy," replied Vincent. "And it's headed for Midgar."

It was hours before we were within sight of the eastern continent.

I stared ahead through the window, unable to believe what my eyes were seeing. Hovering in some sort of strange limbo was Meteor. Something was holding it up, preventing it from crashing into Midgar, which seemed to have been Meteor's target.

The closer we got, the quicker I realized what was happening. Holy had halted Meteor's descent. But Meteor wasn't destroyed.

Cid kept the airship at a safe distance, circling around the perimeter of Midgar.

Even though Meteor's descent had been stopped, its close proximity caused the formation of dozens of destructive twisters, demolishing everything in their path. Lightning struck the tall Shinra headquarters building. Pieces of it broke and fell onto the plates, forcing some of the plates to crash down on the slums below.

Barret pounded his fist on the window. "Midgar! It'll be destroyed!"

Cait Sith shook his head. "I had everyone take refuge in the slums," Reeve spoke through the mechanical cat. "But the way things are now..."

I clung to Cloud's arm, more frightened than I'd ever been in my entire life. If Holy lost power, then Meteor would fall and cause an irreparable crack in the planet. No one would survive.

Just then from the corner of my eye, I saw a luminescent green flash. "What's that?!"

More green flashes came out of the ground everywhere. I knew what it was, but couldn't seem to comprehend why it was happening.

Cloud's eyes went wide. "...Lifestream."

We all stared in surprised wonder as thousands and thousands of glowing green strands erupted from the ground and began rising toward Meteor, completely engulfing it in a matter of minutes. The giant ball of green energy pulsed and rolled and then suddenly disintegrated into harmless fragments of light.

Meteor had vanished and so had the Lifestream.

"It's gone!" shouted Yuffie. "The planet's saved!"

My eyes watered as I stared at the space that only moments ago had contained Meteor. It really was gone.

Cloud collapsed beside me, falling to his knees. He looked down in exhaustion. "It's finally over."

I lowered myself beside him and wrapped my arms around his neck, holding him tightly. He was shaking and quietly sobbing. All of my emotions spilled from me at the same time. I didn't know how to feel. All I knew was that the young man crying in my arms had suddenly become my entire life.

Without him, I didn't exist…

Behind us, the others were cheering and shouting and laughing. I wanted to be celebrating with them, but I refused to leave Cloud's side. It had been an extremely long road for him and I could sense he was not only physically drained, but mentally scarred. He discovered his true origin, remembered the cruel hardships in his life and even in a battered and broken state, he managed to defeat Sephiroth. The battle was finally over.

But his internal battle wouldn't end here. I knew he would continue to struggle. I intended to be the one to keep him focused on the road ahead and not on the one behind…even if it killed me. I would make everything all right for him and see to it that he didn't fall off the wrong side of the sharp edge he walked. I'd be there no matter what.

Funny how my silent vows would nearly go unheard in the not so distant future.

_

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_

Christ! I'm drained. This chapter was seriously exhausting. I feel like Cloud after all that fighting. Quite honestly, I don't think I did that great of a job with the fight scenes against the Jenova and Sephiroth mutations, but hopefully you liked it anyway.

_Later…_

_Please leave feedback. Thanks._


	28. Chapter 28

**Author's Note – I decided to run with the Case of Tifa story that was included in the Advent Children DVD collection. There's also a Case of Denzel and a Case of Barret story included in the book, but I'll stick with Tifa's point of view. I added just a couple of things and changed the dialogue around, too. But it's pretty much what happened in the book. So that's the direction I'm taking the past story in.**

**As for the present story, well…you'll see.**

**By the way, I know this will disappoint most of you, but there are only two more chapters left after this one. I hope you've all enjoyed this ride as much as I have. But I must confess, this project turned out to be a lot more difficult than I thought it would be. But anyway, I got it out of my system. Now I can work on some AU stories…maybe, if people give me lots of cake.**

**One more thing...just a plug for the new fic I posted called "The Only Chance". It's rated M. Check it out if you fell like reading something mind-numbingly normal.**

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Chapter 28

**Somewhere in the Middle of Nowhere – the present**

Cloud and I crouched side by side in the bushes, staring at what used to be the cannibal village.

Cid crawled over to us. "What the fuck's this? I thought we were hunting cannibals?"

Within the perimeter of an eight-foot, chain-linked fence with barbed wire at the top, was a wood compound. Dozens of men in tan uniforms patrolled, each one armed with a heavy-duty, long-range weapon. I didn't recognize the insignia on the side of the small building. But it definitely wasn't Shinra.

A quick visual scan revealed no sign of the cannibal village, or the people that lived there.

Cloud gritted his teeth. "Looks like Hojo's expecting company."

Yuffie joined us a minute later. "Since when do cannibals carry rifles?"

Cid looked like he was going to flip out if he didn't have a smoke. "Are you sure this is the right place?"

"This is the place, Cid." Cloud's brows narrowed. "Something's not smelling right."

Cid sniffed the air. "I don't smell anything."

"What do you smell?" I asked Cloud.

"Death." He turned back to the fenced area. "The cannibals were all killed here. I can smell the decay. It wasn't that long ago either. Maybe a few days."

I couldn't say I was sorry to hear the cannibals were extinct. But why had they been killed? And what were these men guarding inside the fence?

"Let's go back to the boat," Cloud finally said.

We set out on the two hour trek back through the rainforest to where we had told Captain Kohler to wait for us.

Back on the boat, the four of us sat together in back.

"What're we gonna do now, Cloud?" I asked.

Cloud sighed heavily. "I don't know."

Cid pulled out his cellphone. "I know exactly what we're gonna do." He punched in a number and waited with the phone on his ear. "Yo, Vinnie, it's Cid…Are ya up for a little adventure?"

The river was bathed in darkness when the sound of a helicopter reached us. Cid was at the front of the boat, blinking his trusty flashlight on and off.

I looked up as the helicopter hovered above us. Seconds later a rope dropped down to the back of the boat. A large shape slid down, an all too familiar automatic weapon hooked to his arm.

"Barret!" I ran over to hug him. "Who's watching the kids?"

"They're still at the Gold Saucer with Elmyra."

The next person to slide down the rope was Vincent, clad in his traditional red cape. I wondered if he'd eventually remove the garment when he discovered how hot and humid it was around here.

A large crate was lowered onto the deck and Barret untied the rope. It disappeared back up into the helicopter. The craft turned and headed back the way it came.

Cid walked up to Vincent. "How'd you manage to get a ride?"

"Called in a favor. We had to come in below radar range. There's a ban on crafts flying in the airspace around this rainforest."

"Yep, know all about it."

"So, what's goin' on?" asked Barret as he came to join us.

Later that night, we all stood around a table.

Cloud drew the village plans on a large piece of map paper. He wrote HOJO in large block letters inside the square representing the compound in the center. "We're gonna come in from the west. Single file. I'll take the lead because if there's anyone on the path ahead, I can smell them…"

Vincent looked up from the map. "What do you mean you can smell them?"

Some glances were exchanged between those of us that knew about Cloud's condition. Vincent and Barret didn't know.

Cid spoke up. "You gotta tell them, Spike. It's the right thing to do."

Cloud straightened up and looked at Cid briefly before turning to Barret. "All right." He took a deep breath first. "Hojo was in prime form when Tifa and I were held captive in the cannibal village." Then he turned his gaze to Vincent. "You know what he's capable of. What he did to you, he pretty much did to me. I can transform into something else."

"What do you become?" asked Vincent.

Cloud placed his left hand on top of the map with a slap. Everyone stared down at it as soft yellow-orange hairs began to rapidly grow and spread up his arm. His fingers shrank and his nails lengthened into claws.

Barret jumped back in surprise. "What the fuck…!"

Cloud removed his hand from the table and it slowly returned back to normal. "I become a leopard. Problem is, the longer I'm away from this rainforest, the more I lose control over my ability to change back to human."

Barret regained his composure. "Awright, so we're goin' in to wipe out Hojo and his flunkies, right?"

"I say we skewer the bastard first," said Cid. "Then we pull out his eyelashes, one by one. And then we'll peel thin layers of his skin with a really sharp blade and…"

"I think you're all forgetting something here," I jumped in, before the testosterone became intolerable. "If we kill Hojo, then Cloud's stuck here. We have to first get Hojo to reverse what he did."

Vincent looked dismally at me. "Nothing he creates or mutates is reversible, Tifa."

"I don't believe that!"

"I bet if you had that damned idol he prays to in that temple, you might convince him otherwise."

We all turned toward the voice. Captain Kohler shrugged from where he stood near the boat controls. I had almost completely forgotten about him.

"What idol?" Cloud asked curiously.

**

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Somewhere in the Middle of Nowhere – the present

I was sweating profusely in the black combat jumpsuit Barret had brought along in that crate. Jumpsuits and weapons. It looked like we were going to start a small war with Hojo and whoever was standing in our way to get to him.

Captain Kohler wanted to be part of our mission and since he seemed to be the only one that knew how to get to this temple where the idol was supposed to be, we had no choice but to take him along while the boat remained anchored along the riverbank.

Yuffie and I walked in the center of our twenty meter circle. Cloud was in the lead with Kohler directly behind him. Cid was off to our left and Vincent was to our right, while Barret brought up the rear.

"You think this idol is gonna do us any good?" Yuffie asked me.

"I wish I knew?"

"I mean, if that old professor worships it, like Kohler says he does, won't he be mad if we take it out of the temple?"

"I think that's the whole point. We have to let him see that we're not afraid. He has to play by our rules or the idol gets it."

"But what happens if he really can't make Cloud normal again?"

I shrugged, really not wanting to think about the consequence. "If Cloud has to live here, then I guess I'll stay with him."

"I had a feeling you'd say that."

"I love him like crazy, Yuffie and I can't live without him. What else am I supposed to do?"

"You do what you have to do, Teef. No matter what it is, I'll support you." Suddenly she gasped. "Did you see that?" Her eyes were wide and searching the air.

"See what?" I looked around.

"That huge beetle. Is it in my hair?"

I searched the top of her head.

Something moved and Yuffie jumped up. "Oh my Gawd! It's in my hair!" She jumped around and moved her hands through her hair. "Get it out! Get it out!" She was making enough noise to wake the dead.

Cid rushed over and tackled her to stop her from screaming. Then he pulled a huge beetle out of her tangled hair.

After getting back on their feet, Yuffie hugged him. "You saved my life!"

I covered my mouth to keep from laughing.

Cloud didn't look in the least bit amused. He walked up to Yuffie and pointed a finger at her nose. "One more outburst like that and you're going back to the boat." He walked away.

"Well, excuse me…I can't help it if I hate bugs in my hair, especially if they're the size of your big fat head." Yuffie wasn't happy either.

Just before the sun went down, Cloud climbed up a tree to take a look around with a pair of high-powered binoculars. He came back down ten minutes later. "I saw something that looks like the top of a stone structure."

Cid took his binoculars back. "How far away is it?"

"It's about three miles southeast of here." He looked at the rest of us. "Let's keep moving before it gets dark."

An hour later, as dusk fell in the rainforest, we literally collided into the stone temple. There was no clearing. Trees and vines just grew around it. It was too dark to see what the whole thing looked like, so we walked along the base and it seemed huge.

Finally, when we weren't having any luck finding an opening in the temple, Cloud made the decision to camp for the night. We'd resume our search in the morning.

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FORGOTTEN CITY – the past

I convinced Cid to take us back to the Forgotten City. I felt as if I had left some unfinished business and didn't even know what it was.

Cloud stood at his usual place near the window. But there was something different about his expression.

I walked up and stared at his profile in fascination.

He turned to me. "What's wrong?"

"You're smiling."

"I am?"

"Yeah." I couldn't help but smile back at him.

"It all starts now, Tifa. A new…" he paused, searching for the right words. "…a new life. I'm going to live. I think that's the only way I can be forgiven for the things…all the things that went wrong. I just never thought about how I was going to start a new life."

"And you couldn't smile?"

"I think it'll be all right this time." He fell silent and turned back to look out the window. "Because…you've always been with me."

"And I always will be."

"That's tomorrow's story," he replied, smiling again.

On impulse I reached for his hand and he squeezed it, acknowledging me effort.

After leaving the airship when we arrived at the Forgotten City, we all walked to the spring where Cloud had released Aeris's body and stood along the bank. Although we couldn't see it any longer, I imagined her body was resting somewhere at the bottom. Or maybe it had been consume by the Lifestream.

A feeling of remorse consumed me in an instant. Aeris sacrificed her own life to save the planet and now it was saved. I wished she could know that. And maybe she did. But it still didn't make me feel any better. Tears filled my eyes.

_Are you all right?_

I sniffed and looked out over the water before glancing at the others. No one seemed to be reacting to the voice I had just heard, asking if I was all right. Not even Cloud reacted. He was standing beside me, his eyes closed, his expression serene.

When I turned back to the water, I willed the voice to speak to me again. But there was only silence. The tears came again. "I'm sorry," I whispered. "I'm really sorry." My knees gave out and I found myself down on the bank, my hands covering my face as I sobbed.

Cloud knelt down beside me and pulled me into his arms.

**

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NIBELHEIM – the past

Cid flew us to Nibelheim next. Cloud and I thought that maybe we could find a place to stay and perhaps move on with our lives there.

But nothing seemed right. None of the people were who we remembered and just being in the town would constantly remind us of who we lost in the incident that had taken place over five years ago.

"We shouldn't have come back," said Cloud.

I nodded. "We don't belong here anymore."

Our friends seemed sympathetic to our plight and didn't even spend a day in town before we all returned to the ship..

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KALM – the past

Elmyra was waiting for us. She had been taking care of Marlene who was overjoyed to see her foster father.

I watched with a smile as Marlene and Barret hugged tightly. From the corner of my eye, I noticed Cloud had led Elmyra further away by the arm. He spoke to her in soft tones. I knew he was telling her about Aeris.

"I'm sorry I wasn't able to save her," I heard Cloud say.

Elmyra placed a hand on Cloud's cheek. "You did what you could. There's no need for you to apologize."

But did we really do all we could? I knew that question would continue to haunt me for the rest of my life. If it plagued me, I was certain Cloud felt even more guilty.

Hundreds of people from Midgar came to take refuge in the small town. The people of Kalm opened their doors and opened their arms to help those in need.

For alittle while, we kept busy helping others, making daily deliveries of food and other supplies in Cid's airship. But we knew that Kalm wasn't where we would eventually settle. It just didn't feel right for some reason.

"Let's go home," Cloud said to Barret and I.

Barret gave him a confused look. "Where to?"

"Our suspended reality."

"The hell you mean by that?"

"Our normal lives."

"And where do we have something like that?"

"We'll find one." Cloud turned to me. "Right?"

I nodded, but wondered where we'd ever find a normal life.

**

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MIDGAR – the past

Seeing Midgar from the air, in the light of day, was depressing. I couldn't help but feel to blame for the destruction. AVALANCHE had been a part of it. I often wondered if we had just left things the way they were, with Shinra's reactors continuing to suck the life out of the planet, Midgar would still be standing. By the time the planet died, I wouldn't have been around to see it anyway.

But I wasn't like that. I wanted to make a difference and that had certainly been the case.

I just didn't realized how many people still lived in the rubble of the demolished city. But after only two weeks since Meteor's destruction, the city had recovered from all of the shock and chaos. People were on the move again, looking to rebuild, moving on with their lives.

Cloud, Barret, Marlene and I were sitting in a diner, where the tables had been set up outside. The cook was using an outdoor grill because the kitchen had been demolished.

I got the guilty feeling all over again as I watched the activity around me. "I was part of this," I said mainly to myself. "I'm a part of the reason these people's lives had been disrupted."

"Whatcha talkin' 'bout, Tifa?"

I turned to Barret. "I can't help but feel guilty. All of this…the raids on the reactors, the arrival of Meteor…I feel as though I gambled with the lives of everyone here in Midgar and so many, many people suffered or died for the cause. I wanted revenge against Shinra, for sending Sephiroth to my hometown, for killing my father and everyone else I knew. Look at what's happened as a result."

"Don't ya think I feel it, too?" replied Barret. "Even if we never went after the Shinra, Sephiroth would have still done what he did. We just happened to be there to stop him before the rest of the planet was destroyed."

"I know, but it still hurts."

"Well, then we're gonna have to live on until we pay back for our sins. It's the only way."

Cloud remained silent, sitting beside me. It seemed as though his mind was somewhere completely different.

"This is where we need to be, Barret. This is where it started."

Barret gave a nod. "Then this's where we'll settle."

Later on, the four of us found a place to spend the night. It was just one room, but at least it was comfortable. Barret took one of the two beds while Marlene laid in the other, where I would be sharing. Cloud opted for the sofa.

In the middle of the night, I woke up and silently walked to the window. Gazing out at the sky, which had once been covered by an upper plate, I felt a sense of nostalgia and was glad that we would settle here in Midgar. We had yet to find a purpose, but at least we could call it home.

I heard Cloud stir and he got up from the sofa and came to join me at the window.

"What you said earlier today, about feeling guilty?" he said. "It's not like you to be troubled like that."

"It's…just what I was feeling at the moment."

He turned to face me. "You're much more cheerful and strong. If you've forgotten the way you were before all this started, I'll be glad to remind you."

"You'll really do that?"

"Probably."

I noticed his cheeks were flushed. Was he blushing? "Thanks, Cloud. I guess we'll always be here for each other, no matter what."

He slipped an arm around my shoulder and kissed the side of my forehead. "No matter what."

I felt my insides stirring, wishing we were alone. But I had a feeling the furthest thing on Cloud's mind was sex. He hadn't initiated it since the night we spent before entering the crater. That was almost three weeks ago. I wouldn't force him into making a commitment…not when our fragile emotions were running pretty high enough as it was.

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Please leave feedback. Thanks.


	29. Chapter 29

**Author's Note – Sorry for the long delay in getting this chapter out to you. I kept rewriting the 'past' portion of the story and was just not happy until I rewrote it from Cloud's point of view. Then I felt satisfied. So the entire chapter is from Cloud's POV except the very last part.**

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Chapter 29

**Somewhere in the Middle of Nowhere – the present**

**CLOUD'S POV**

In the morning we gathered our things and prepared to search around the temple for some kind of opening.

"Hey, where's the boatman?" asked Barret.

We all glanced around and discovered Kohler wasn't among us.

"Maybe he went back to the boat," Tifa speculated.

I slung the strap of a rifle over my shoulder. "Forget him. Let's just move out."

We started making our way around the wall of the temple.

Tifa was walking behind me. Whenever I looked at her over my shoulder, I found her eyes on me.

"Something you wanna say to me?" I finally asked her.

She shrugged. "Nothing. I'm just not used to seeing you with a rifle. Your weapon has always been a sword."

"Yeah, last time I used one was back at the SOLDIER academy." It reminded me of the fact that my Apocalypse sword had been missing in action since the cannibals had taken us. Maybe Professor Hojo had it. "I'm not used to seeing you with a rifle either," I commented with a smile.

The sound of footsteps and the scent of uniforms hit me at the same time. I turned toward the temple wall we were walking near and looked up. More than a dozen men in tan uniforms stood near the entrance on the next level. They spotted us immediately and aimed their weapons.

Just then Captain Kohler calmly stepped out from the temple entrance. "Sorry, folks," he yelled down to us. "But I had no choice."

I frowned up at him. "What's going on, Kohler?"

"I'll tell you what's going on. You're all going to make nice and put your weapons down."

"That's not going to happen."

"We're on higher ground," he yelled down, raising his rifle. "We've got the advantage. You don't stand a chance."

Fucking son-of a bitch probably led us here on purpose to ambush us.

"You've been playing us right from the start," Tifa stated before I could. "There was no idol. You made it all up."

"Oh, don't look so sad, sweetheart," he addressed Tifa. "You think you're the only ones I've lured here for the good professor?"

The good professor? "So you're working for Hojo?" I asked.

"That's right. And he's informed me that he no longer has any use for you. So this is the end of the road." Kohler raised his rifle and started shooting.

We all hit the dirt and crawled for cover behind some large boulders while Barret aimed his gunarm and returned fire. Kohler and the guards ducked inside the temple.

I raised my rifle and fired, covering Barret while he ducked behind the boulders. Shots hit the boulders and pieces rained down on us. As I snuck a peek around the boulder I was behind, I spotted Kohler jumping down from the temple and making a run for it. No way was I losing him. "Toss me a grenade and cover me!"

Cid tossed me a grenade before he joined Vincent and Barret, blasting the temple. I scrambled out from behind the boulder and made my way closer to the temple. When I figured I was close enough to make an accurate throw, I whipped the grenade into the temple opening and dashed back behind the boulder.

Three seconds later there was an explosion and pieces of stone rained down on us. When all was quiet, I peeked out again and the temple opening was gone, completed covered by fallen debris. The men inside were either trapped or dead. "That takes care of some of our troubles. Let's move out. Our friendly neighborhood traitor hightailed it."

I ran ahead of the others as we headed back into the jungle.

I followed the path Kohler had taken. Either this guy was a complete moron or he didn't believe I could track him. He was about fifty feet ahead of me, making enough noise to wake up the dead. As I ran ahead of the others, I could clearly hear them not far behind me, making just as much noise as the idiot in front of me.

Then another sound reached my ears. Quiet footsteps running parallel to me on my left and right. I couldn't see them, but I could smell them. Apparently some of the cannibals were still alive.

Two of them suddenly appeared, one on each side of me. My hands automatically dropped to the pistols strapped to my thighs. I retrieved them and extended my arms out to either side, shooting both of the natives at the same time. The gunshots echoed loudly through the rainforest, scattering birds and monkeys in every directions.

Without missing a single beat, I continued my pursuit. Seconds later, there was a break in the trees. Up ahead, Kohler had stopped running and three natives stood in front of him. They raised their pea shooters, bent on protecting the bastard. I raised my pistols and picked each of the natives off one at a time, not stopping my forward momentum.

Kohler raised his rifle. But before he could fire, a black blur leapt on top of the man.

I skidded to a stop and watched a black leopard rip Kohler's throat out. It was Jamal.

The others came up beside me as Kohler fought to free himself from the jaws of the animal on top of him.

"Holy shit!" yelled Cid and raised his rifle.

I quickly pushed the barrel away before he could shoot. "No!"

Kohler's screams and struggles died down. The black leopard released the dead man's bloody throat and stood up.

"Is that Jamal?" Tifa asked beside me.

I didn't respond as the black leopard looked meaningfully in our direction before disappearing back into the jungle. I wondered why he wasn't sticking around.

"Friend of yours?" Cid asked as he stared at the spot where the animal had gone.

"Sort of."

Vincent crouched beside Kohler and reached down to check his pulse. "He's dead."

I felt a moment of remorse for Kohler before I remembered he had led us into a trap that could have ended with one or all of us dead. "Let's go nail Hojo."

"About fuckin' time," Barret muttered as we continued on.

Almost an hour later we were crouching near the perimeter fence surrounding Hojo's base. There wasn't a cannibal hut in sight, making me think that maybe the remaining cannibals had been left homeless.

"Are you serious?" Barret grumbled beside me. "This is it? One measly little building?"

"I doubt it." I knew Hojo. There was probably some elaborate underground laboratory right beneath us. I turned to Vincent behind me. "Think you can pick off some of those guards from a tree?"

"Easily." He crawled away. Luckily he had opted to remove his red cloak before we left the boat earlier, or it would have stood out in the greenery around us.

Minutes ticked by as we sat and watched the fenced compound. There were a number of guards strolling around and two standing near the door.

My ears picked up the sound of several muffled gunshots. The two guards standing near the door immediately went down. More quiet gunshots followed and more guards went down. Vincent was doing exactly what I had asked him to do. Soon all of the guards were down and there was no other movement.

"Let's go," I said as I quickly stood up. Since the fence was still electrified, we had to go over without touching it. I found a branch and jumped up to grab it. After moving hand over hand along the branch, I raised my legs over the barbed wire coils and pushed myself over the side.

The others soon followed the same path. The only who had the hardest time was Barret. His backside touched the electrified coils and he received a shock just as he jumped over the side.

"Motherfucker!" he spat out through clenched teeth, while rubbing his butt.

Just as we started moving toward the door after Vincent joined us, I caught another movement on the branch we had used to enter the perimeter.

When I turned, Jamal leapt off the branch. He was still in his black leopard form. I took a step toward him and he roared, conveying his message to me without uttering a word. After giving him a nod, I turned back to the others. "He's staying out here to patrol the area in case anybody else shows up."

We headed for the door. It was locked, of course. Barret kicked it in, making a lot more noise than I would have liked, but I was sure whoever was inside already knew we were coming. Our weapons were up and ready.

On the other side of the doorway were two stairways. One headed up and the other down.

I pointed to Cid, Vincent and Yuffie. "You guys take care of the upstairs. We'll take the downstairs."

After we split up into two groups, I led Tifa and Barret down four flights of stairs. There was only one door and it was at the very bottom.

I leaned forward and listened. But the door was soundproof, so I couldn't tell who or what was on the other side. A number pad on the handle hinted that the door was locked. I turned to Barret and motioned with my head as I dragged Tifa back a few steps.

Barret aimed his gunarm and blasted the door handle. Then he blasted around the hinges. Three seconds later the door slowly fell in and landed on the floor with a loud crash. And two seconds after that, the doorway was blasted with rapid gunfire.

The three of us ducked back against the wall.

I didn't get a chance to see the number we'd be facing. But I had a feeling Hojo wasn't taking any chances.

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EDGE – the past

**CLOUD'S POV**

The grand opening of The Seventh Heaven seemed to be going well. The place was packed almost wall to wall. I didn't think Barret's plan to brew and sell homemade Corel alcohol would draw this much attention. I was wrong as usual.

Tifa was scrambling back and forth behind the bar, busy pouring drinks and handling food orders. I asked her four times if she wanted help, and she turned me down all four times, telling me to hang out with our friends and have fun. Well, what about her? Why was she doing all the work? Wasn't she entitled to have fun with our friends?

A few days before the opening, when Tifa reminded me that my job was to pick up the ingredients to make the food and the alcohol, I confessed to her that I didn't know what the ingredients she needed even looked like. She seemed surprised and almost started to laugh. But she stopped herself, probably remembering that I missed out on a lot of little things people took for granted…like learning the names of fruits and vegetables. I couldn't tell a carrot from a banana.

Later on when things started to die down alittle, I went behind the bar to join Tifa.

"Want something to drink, Cloud?" she asked.

"No, I'm fine." I took her by the arm and pulled her away from the two men sitting on the other side of the bar. "Tifa, I need a favor."

"What kind of favor?"

"Would it be a big deal if someone had the privilege of eating and drinking here for free for the rest of that person's life?"

She stared blankly at me. "I don't understand. Why would you ask me such a thing?"

"It's in exchange for something…something important to me."

She knew not to ask me what that something was. If I had wanted her to know, I would have just said it. She'd eventually find out. But I couldn't tell her just yet because I knew she'd try to talk me out of it.

"I suppose…it'd be fine, Cloud."

I gave her a smile and kissed her on the cheek. "Thanks." I could feel her eyes boring into the back of my head though as I stepped from behind the bar and went back to the guy I had been talking to near the door. "It's all set," I told Stan Higgins. "You'll get free meals and free drinks for as long as you live."

Higgins grinned and pointed a finger at me. "You're not plannin' to knock me off when the job's done, are ya, Strife?"

I gave him a crooked smile. "Depends on how good of a job you do."

"Right."

"So when do you think she'll be ready?"

"Give me a couple weeks."

"Great. I'll check in every couple of days to get a progress report."

"Pleasure doin' business with you and I'm looking forward to some great meals from that lovely woman behind the bar."

I placed a firm hand on his shoulder. "Don't get any ideas, Higgins. Tifa's off limits." I was joking, but serious at the same time.

Higgins backed away toward the door, his hands raised in surrender. "Yeah, yeah. I get it. Talk to ya soon."

After he left, I felt a twinge in the pit of my stomach. Guilt. Maybe I should have told Tifa what I was doing. She had her heart set on beginning a new life together. I didn't want to start it by sneaking around behind her back and not telling her what I was up to.

I made the decision to just tell her and if she got angry with me, then I'd try to convince her that my plan would only save us money in the long run. I turned toward the bar, but Tifa wasn't behind it any longer. She wasn't sitting with Yuffie and Marlene, or with Cid and Vincent. Barret was hustling the last customers away from the bar, so my guess was that it was closing time.

Maybe Tifa had gone into the kitchen.

I started making my way through the maze of tables and chairs, reminding myself that I'd straighten them out later. As I approached the kitchen, I heard voices coming through the open doorway.

"Cid asked me to marry him." I recognized Shera's voice.

"Oh, Shera, that's wonderful." Tifa sounded genuinely excited to hear the news.

I glanced over my shoulder to where Cid was sitting with Vincent. There was a thick halo of smoke around the pilot's head which didn't seem to bother Vincent.

"What about you?" I heard Shera ask.

I turned back to the doorway.

"What about me?" Tifa asked.

"I'm sure Cloud will be proposing to you soon."

Shera's statement made me freeze just outside the doorway.

"Cloud? Oh no. I doubt it."

"Why? I thought the two of you were close?"

"It's not like that between me and Cloud. We're just really good friends."

"Well, you could have fooled me."

Tifa laughed. "Besides, I could never marry someone like him. He's too messed up and too reckless. I want someone more stable."

I felt my heart constrict in my chest. She thought I was too messed up and too reckless? Since when? I backed away from the door, not wanting to hear anymore. How could Tifa say that about me to someone else? The room suddenly seemed too small and I needed air.

"Yo, Spiky, how 'bout a drink, you and me," said Barret.

"Don't feel like drinking," I replied as I headed for the front entrance.

"Hey, where you goin'?"

I didn't answer as I barged out of the door and gulped in a breath of cool night air. What else was Tifa going to tell Shera? That I was a screw up? That on occasion I'd have a meltdown whenever I thought about all the shit I had done in my life and everything I had never been able to do? That I sometimes had nightmares and woke up screaming in the middle of the night? That stuff was personal. I didn't tell any of it to anyone except Tifa.

After everything we had been through and what we meant to each other…all the intimate moments we spent throughout the quest to save the planet. It obviously meant nothing to her. I was just a friend. Is this how she wanted our relationship to go? Platonic friends?

I sat down on the edge of the sidewalk and stared at the vacant street, trying to come up with a reason why Tifa would suddenly not want to be with me any longer. Was it because I hadn't touched her or kissed her in the last month or so? Well, I had a reason. The kid was always around, always staring at me, like I was going to sprout horns or something. Marlene was a nice kid and all, but I just didn't know what to say to her or how to deal with her. And if she caught me making out with Tifa, the kid would probably freak and tell Barret.

I was going to make it up to Tifa by taking her out one night. I planned on it after the grand opening, only because she had been so busy preparing for it and a night out with me would have distracted her.

Something nagged at the back of my head. Maybe it was something else. Maybe now that the peril was over, Tifa had time to reflect back on things and thought I had used her and taken advantage of her mental weakness while we pursued Sephiroth. But hadn't I in fact done just that? Although I wouldn't have pursued her if she hadn't initiated that first kiss at the old Seventh Heaven in Sector Seven. I wanted her so bad after that, I couldn't stop myself. If she had rejected me, I didn't know what I would have done. But I coaxed and practically demanded her surrender. Right before I left for the SOLDIER academy, we promised one another we'd remain true to each other. Both of us kept our promise, but I was pretty sure she didn't believe I did. Then all the times after that, she seemed willing to satisfy whatever urges were running rampant inside me at any given time. I needed the release…and she was the only familiar, real thing around me. She never refused me, even when she thought I had gotten down and dirty with Aeris on the Round at the Gold Saucer.

I was so messed up when all that happened. I didn't care whether it was right or wrong.

Well, if Tifa convinced herself that I had taken advantage of her, then I wouldn't do it any longer. If she stopped needing me that way, I wasn't going to demand or beg…

I ran a hand through my hair, feeling my heart tighten again. Didn't she know I loved her? But hadn't that always been the case? I loved her more than she loved me. Did she tell Shera that, too?

This was it. I vowed I'd never again tell Tifa what I felt. I'd never tell anyone anything again.

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EDGE – the past

**CLOUD'S POV**

Three weeks later I pulled up in my brand new motorcycle. The engine was loud, so I knew it would bring Tifa and Marlene running outside.

Sure enough, a minute later, Tifa cautiously opened the door before allowing Marlene to rush out.

"Cloud! Cloud! What is that?!" cried the kid.

"It's a motorcycle." I dismounted and picked her up to place her on the seat.

"Careful, Marlene," warned Tifa. "Don't touch anything." She came down the steps and stopped beside me, scanning her eyes over the machine in front of us.

I watched for some kind of reaction from her. Anger…happiness…What was she thinking?

She turned to me. "Why are you looking at me like that?"

"Well...I'm sorry I kept quiet about it."

"About what?"

"Doing what I wanted."

Tifa burst out laughing. Not exactly the reaction I had thought. "Is this what you traded someone for a lifetime of food and drink?"

"Yeah, sort of. But I made extra deliveries during the week and spent all the extra pay on some modifications." I waited for another reaction.

"You're feeling guilty about using the extra pay?"

I shrugged. "Yeah, I guess I am."

She took my hand and turned me around to face her. "Cloud, you work hard and you deserve to get something you want. Besides, running deliveries in Barret's truck isn't very practical." She motioned toward the bike. "This will definitely allow you to go further and faster."

"That's what I was thinking, too."

The look in her eyes told me she wanted me to kiss her. No…I wouldn't initiate it, no matter how much I wanted to taste her again. I looked away, drawing her attention away from my face. "So, you like it?"

"What do you call it?"

"Fenrir."

She smiled at me. "Fenrir. That's a very noble name."

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EDGE – the past

**CLOUD'S POV**

Two months passed without incident. With the bike I was able to delivery to places much further, which meant I was on the road a lot more and at home less and less.

One night I came home after midnight and immediately went to bed in the small cot I used in the office. I rolled over on my side, facing the wall and closed my eyes.

A sound outside the door woke me. Then I heard the door open and the sound of quiet footsteps approach my bed. I knew it was Tifa. I recognized the scent of her soap.

When she leaned over to check on me, I quickly closed my eyes. "We'll be all right, won't we?" she whispered so softly, I barely heard her. "Do you still love me?"

My eyes popped open and I turned to look up at her. "What did you just ask me?"

She seemed surprised that I was awake all of a sudden. "Do you…do you love Marlene?"

That wasn't what she had asked. But I decided not to go down that path. Instead I focused on Marlene. "Yeah. But sometimes I don't know how to approach her."

"We've all been together for some time, why is it so difficult for you?"

"Maybe being together just isn't enough."

"Maybe we aren't enough for you…"

I didn't know how to answer that. It was so obvious that we were drifting apart, yet we both ignored it.

"Sorry for asking," she finally said.

"Don't apologize. It's my problem." I turned back toward the wall and closed my eyes.

"Goodnight."

I heard her footsteps move back toward the door before she quietly closed it behind her. I grimaced at how uncomfortable it suddenly felt to be around her. The feeling was horrible. I couldn't stand it. For as long as I had known Tifa, which was practically all my life, I couldn't remember ever feeling so awkward and self-conscious around her. I wanted things to be normal again. But how could they when I knew she didn't love me. What if she found someone soon? How would I ever survive seeing her with someone else?

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EDGE – the past

**CLOUD'S POV**

Nearly two years had passed since we moved to Edge. The Seventh Heaven was booming for Tifa and my own business, which we decided to call Strife Delivery Service, wasn't doing too bad. It kept me out a lot though and I knew it bothered Tifa and Marlene…Tifa mostly. But she never said anything so I didn't bring it up.

Tifa and I were walking eggshells around each other and I didn't know how to make it stop. There was so much tension between us that even Marlene yelled at us one time for making absurd small talk, saying we kept talking about the same things over and over.

One day, I walked in through the back door, carrying an unconscious boy. "Tifa!"

She rushed into the kitchen and gasped when she saw my burden. Then she followed me upstairs where I laid the boy on the spare twin bed in Marlene's room. She disappeared for a few minutes and returned with a bowl of water and some white rags. "Who is he?" Tifa asked as she began to tend to the black splotch on the kid's forehead.

"I think it's Denzel. He didn't really say much."

"He has Geostigma."

"I know. But I don't think he's had it for very long."

Tifa continued wiping the kid's forehead. "There are so many children out there infected with this illness." She turned to me. "And a lot of facilities set up for those who have no parents. Why did you bring him here, Cloud?"

I frowned and looked down. "He came to my place." Just as I said it, I realized my mistake and looked back up at her.

She apparently caught the blunder. "What do you mean _your_ place?"

"I mean..." I didn't know what to say. I didn't want her to know that I had been spending a lot of days and nights at the church where Aeris grew her flowers. The flowers were still there and I took care of them. If I told Tifa, she'd get upset. I changed the subject. "Do you think we can take care of him?"

She gave me a perturbed look, probably because I didn't answer her question. "You know I wouldn't turn anyone down. I think Marlene won't mind having someone closer to her age to keep her company."

I walked toward the door. "I have to finish my deliveries." I heard her frustrated sigh before I even got to the stairs.

When I got home later that night, purposely very late, I took off my shoes and tiptoed upstairs, hoping not to run into Tifa. Instead of going straight to my room, I thought about the boy I had brought over earlier. Was he still here or did Tifa put him out on the street to spite me? I reprimanded myself for thinking such a thing. Tifa was a saint. She'd never put anyone out on the street, especially not a sick boy.

As I stopped in front of the doorway to Marlene's room, I felt a slight sting on my left arm. But I ignored it as I scanned over the beds. Marlene was in her usual bed, closer to the window. The boy, Denzel, was in the other. He seemed to be sleeping restfully.

There was a creak behind me. I closed my eyes because I knew it was Tifa.

"I didn't think you'd come home tonight," she said softly as she came to stand beside me at the door.

"I wanted to check on the boy."

"He woke up after you left and was asking about you."

"Was he?"

"His name's Denzel and his parents were killed in the Sector Seven bombing."

I blinked several times and looked down, somehow feeling responsible, since it was AVALANCHE that had provoked President Shinra to blow the pillars, sending the top plate crashing down on everyone below.

"So the problem was resolved?" she asked.

"Which problem?"

"Your problem."

"Oh..."

"It's okay if you don't want to tell me."

"I can't really explain it well..." I warned before turning to face her. Just looking at her hurt more than anything. It hurt because I knew she'd never belong to me. "The problem isn't resolved. Or rather…I never really tried to resolve it. You can't restore lost lives."

She nodded silently.

"But maybe…if I could just save one life…"

"You mean Denzel?"

"Yeah."

She nodded again before looking my way. "Do you remember what you said when you brought Denzel here this afternoon?"

"What did I say?"

"You said Denzel came to your place."

"Well..." I had hoped the subject wouldn't come up, but I had to say something now. I couldn't ignore her questions forever.

"Tell me. I'll decide whether I'm angry or not after I listen."

I nodded and took a deep breath. "Denzel collapsed in front of the church, which was Aeris's church, so I thought maybe she led him to my place." After saying all that in one breath, I looked away.

"So now it's your place?"

Pain jolted up my arm and I rubbed it with my other hand. "I wasn't planning to hide there."

"You were hiding?"

The guilt was consuming me once again. Why did I always feel so guilty when it came to Tifa? "I'm sorry."

"Cloud, I didn't say you couldn't go. But next time, let's go together."

I turned to her and the look in her eyes gave me a small measure of hope that maybe she might be rethinking her feelings for me. Maybe I still had a chance.

"Aeris didn't bring Denzel to you," she said with a smile. "She brought that child to _us_."

"You're right." As I gazed into her warm brown eyes, I couldn't help but smile before moving away from the door. "Goodnight, Tifa."

"Goodnight, Cloud."

I rubbed my left arm as I went into my room and closed the door behind me. The pain was becoming unbearable. What the hell…? I sat down on the side of my cot and pulled off my sweatshirt. At first I didn't see anything, but then I noticed a small black blotch on my bicep.

Oh no…

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EDGE – the past

**Back to TIFA'S POV**

After Cloud brought Denzel, I thought maybe he had settled whatever demons lurked within him. Being so withdrawn and reclusive, I feared he had gone into mental hibernation. He hardly talked to me, much less smiled at any of us.

The smile I saw on his face the other night made me wonder if it had all been an illusion because he was suddenly gone, without a word, without a warning…

He wouldn't even answer his cellphone anymore.

Something had happened. But for the life of me I couldn't figure it out and quite honestly, I was just plain tired of trying to figure him out altogether.

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Well, kiddies…I'm done with the 'past' story. I thought leaving it at the point where Cloud discovers he has Geostigma was a good place to end it. Advent Children would kick in after that, so I'm going to leave it alone.

**I know everyone hates to hear this, but there's only one more chapter left in the story. As usual, stories like this tend to suck the life out of me and I'm really, really, really exhausted. I do want to start on the sequel to Break Me Down, but I haven't really decided where I want to take it. I usually don't post a story unless I have a beginning and an end already on paper, otherwise I won't finish it. Does anyone have any ideas? I'd appreciate them on a PM rather than in a review so as not to give the plot away in case I do happen to use an idea (and will gladly give you credit for it).**

**Ciao for now.**


	30. Chapter 30

**Author' Note – Here it is, kiddies. Hope you enjoy it.**

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Chapter 30

**Somewhere in the Middle of Nowhere – the present**

Cloud held an arm across me, keeping me back against the wall as the shots continued. He glanced at Barret who was pressed against the wall on the other side of the doorway. "Got enough ammo?"

Barret scowled. "Don't get your panties in a bunch, I got plenty." Just then he somersaulted across the open doorway and was on his feet in front of us. He stuck his gunarm around the doorframe and fired it.

Cid, Vincent and Yuffie picked that moment to come charging down the stairs, obviously after hearing the shooting.

"Starting the party without us?" Cid grunted, like he was truly annoyed we hadn't invited him to fight.

Vincent moved to the other side of the door and stuck both of his guns in the doorway, blasting them over and over.

Cid ran a hand under his nose. "I hate to rain on your parade…but what if you dipshits hit Hojo?"

"He won't be out in the open," Vincent assured and continued shooting.

The shots being returned began decreasing, which meant Barret and Vincent were hitting their targets.

Yuffie crowded behind Barret. "Maybe this will help," she said as she flung a Vagyrisk Claw over his shoulder and through the open door.

A few seconds later, a bright flash of light burst out. The shooting immediately stopped. When the light disappeared, Barret and Vincent were the first ones through the doorway.

"It's clear!" yelled Barret.

The rest of us followed.

The petrifying item Yuffie had thrown in seemed to have done the trick. Several guards were locked in whatever poses they had been in before the Vagyrisk Claw took effect. The bodies of the unfortunate ones lay strewn all around, shot by armor-piercing bullets, thanks to Barret and Vincent. Cid and I checked them to make sure Hojo wasn't among the dead.

Barret walked around the perimeter of the laboratory, checking for hidden doors. "Anybody in the upper levels?"

"No one," replied Vincent.

I studied Cloud's expression. He was staring wide-eyed at various things in the lab. An examination table. Three large tanks that once contained a clear green fluid, which was all over the floor, thanks to the bullet holes in the glass. There was another table along the wall containing a number of instruments, some with needles or sharp edges. It was clear to me that this room reminded him of the lab in the Shinra mansion in Nibelheim.

"Hey, Cloud," yelled Yuffie from the other side where she had opened several lockers. "Look what I found." She stepped aside to reveal his Apocalypse sword in one of them.

Cloud put his pistols back in the holsters strapped to his thighs and immediately walked over to retrieve his sword. His face actually lit up as he picked it up and inspected the blade for damage.

"He ain't here," said Cid. "Whatta we do now?"

"Hang on," Barret said as he struggled to pull something out of an indentation on a blank wall. Finally he stepped back in frustration and fired his gunarm in a high, wide arch. The rounds tore into the wall, ripping off chunks of it. When he was finished, the wall remained standing. Barret moved closer and gave the wall a hard kick. It slowly tilted away and crashed down on the floor with a loud, echoing bang. On the other side of the large hole was a tunnel.

I stepped up beside Barret. "How did you know there was a passage on the other side of this wall?"

"This was the only wall not made of plaster and there's a code thingy over there." He pointed to the indentation a few inches away from where he had shot out the wall. Neatly tucked away was a small keypad. "Couldn't figure out the code and couldn't pull the damned thing out to cut the wires." He glanced over his shoulder. "Anyone have a problem with me blastin' the wall?"

Cloud came up on the other side of Barret. "I've always been a big fan of your unconventional methods, Barret." He slapped Barret on the back before walking into the tunnel.

I glanced at the dozen or so frozen guards before my gaze paused at Vincent. "How long do the effects of the Vagyrisk Claw last?"

"About an hour," he replied.

As the rest of us stepped into the tunnel, I jogged up to walk beside Cloud. "You know, I was thinking about something."

He turned his face toward me as we continued walking down the barren tunnel. "That you're gonna kick Yuffie's ass for not bringing along any materia?"

I smiled. "Well, I might do that, now that you mentioned it. But no, I was thinking about Shinra. We never did find out what he really wanted."

"Don't worry about it. As soon as all this is over, I'm gonna personally pay the bastard a visit."

"Good. I'm going with you."

"Why? You think I can't handle myself alone?"

"Cloud, we both know Rufus can't be trusted. He proved that when he kidnapped me. I wouldn't put it passed him to already have a plan in place in case you happen to show up."

"I'll be ready for him next time."

"I'm still going with you."

He snorted out a laugh. "Can't talk you out of it?"

"Nope."

"Then I'll just go and not tell you. I'm pretty good at that."

"Don't make me surgically implant a tracking device on you."

He laughed again and looked down. "I wouldn't doubt you'd do such a thing."

I put my hand on his arm and pulled him to a stop. "Cloud, I've told you that I love you, right?" I was suddenly unsure whether or not I had actually said the words to him.

"Yeah…" He looked confused.

"Okay, good." I slipped an arm around his neck as I stood up on my toes and leaned in to kiss him. When was the last time we had shared a moment together? On the freighter…that seemed like weeks ago instead of a couple of days. I was surprised when Cloud continued the kiss with some passion. He had never kissed me like this in front of the others.

"Anyone have a barf bag?" exclaimed Cid as he walked passed and glowered over his shoulder at us.

"Get a room," Barret muttered as he also walked by.

I glanced the other way, where Vincent and Yuffie were approaching.

Yuffie gave Vincent a suggestive look. "Giving you any ideas, Vinnie?"

"There's a time and a place," said the usually quiet gunman. "And this isn't it." He and Yuffie passed us.

Cloud reluctantly released me and we continued on down the tunnel.

The tunnel itself had no special features, other than an occasional light mounted on the steel wall. The floor was also made of steel and was covered in a very thin layer of dust. There were cobwebs all over and along with the dust, I imagined this tunnel hadn't been built recently and was rarely used. But I did notice the dust on the floor had been disturbed by several footprints. Perhaps Hojo making his getaway.

After walking for another twenty minutes through the endless tunnel, finally up ahead was a wall with a metal door. There was a small keypad above the handle.

Cid lit his fourth cigarette in the last half hour and motioned to the keypad. "Anyone wanna take a stab at it?"

Cloud turned to Barret with an impatient sigh. "Just blast it."

Everyone stepped back as Barret let loose on the door. The keypad and the door handle were ripped to shreds in seconds. When Barret stopped, the door slowly drifted open on its own. He nudged it further open with the toe of his boot and peeked around the doorframe, his gunarm raised. "Stairway goin' up on the right."

We all passed through the doorway. The steps on the right were made of stone. So were the walls in the immediate area. It was too dark to see anything beyond ten feet. The only light source was coming from the tunnel.

Cloud looked up and around. "We're inside a temple." With his Mako-enhanced eyesight, he was able to penetrate the darkness.

Vincent was also able to see what we couldn't. "Judging by the distance we traveled inside the tunnel, it must be the same temple Kohler led us to."

Cloud sniffed the air. "I smell oil." He surprised Cid by snatching the cigarette out of his mouth and skipping up the stone steps, passing underneath an arch. The rest of us quickly followed him. Cloud flicked the cigarette a couple feet away. When the cigarette landed, it ignited a flame that traveled quickly along a four inch wide moat on the floor, illuminating the vast interior of the ancient temple.

I looked around at the multi-tiered platforms running along the perimeter of the temple walls in a half circle. Small walkways led from one platform to another and between every three platforms were steps leading up to each of the other four levels. It almost looked like an auditorium. "What is this place? Another Cetra temple?" If it was a Cetra temple, I wondered why Aeris never mentioned it…unless she hadn't known it existed.

The oil burning in the moat cast an eerie glow on the upper levels. Upon further inspection, I noticed the walls were covered in either moss or overgrown vines. Small critters scampered around, looking for shadows to hide in. Near one of the platforms was a large pile of stones that looked as if they had caved in. My guess was it was the opening Kohler had been standing in when we were on the outside of this temple. Cloud had tossed a grenade at the entrance, causing the cave.

"What're we doing here?" asked Yuffie, spinning around in a circle. "That stupid professor could be miles away by now."

Cloud's eyes were closed and he was sniffing the air. "No, he's in here," he said as he opened his eyes again. "I can smell him."

Just then some shots came at us from one of the platforms. "Don't move!"

We all turned toward the source of the voice. Three men stood on a platform, the one in the middle was Hojo, in his typical white lab coat. The two guards on either side of him held rifles aimed in our direction.

"If you move," Hojo cried out, "…my men will shoot."

Cloud took a step forward and before I could even blink, he fired his pistol twice. Both guards went down, leaving Hojo unprotected and surprised. "So let them shoot," Cloud said matter-of-factly. He gave Vincent a side glance. "Bring him down here."

In a flash of red, Vincent swirled into the air. I had never seen Vincent in this form. The red stain rose higher and headed for Hojo.

"Stay away from me!" yelled Hojo as he tried to back away from Vincent. He moved too close to the edge of the platform and lost his footing, falling the fifteen feet to the hard floor below. Hojo struggled to get up, clutching his right arm.

Cloud walked over with determination and before Hojo could finish standing, he punched the professor hard in the face.

I rushed forward and watched Cloud crouch over the fallen professor, pressing his knee into the man's throat, cutting off his air supply. He stuck the barrels of both his pistols right into Hojo's face. I could literally feel the rage and tension pouring out of Cloud. I knew he wanted to kill Hojo right on the spot. But we needed him alive. "Cloud, no!" I yelled.

Cid walked up to Cloud and put a hand on his shoulder. "Easy there, kid. I know how bad you wanna blow away this prick…"

Cloud reluctantly removed the pistols from Hojo's face and stood up. It was clear he was desperately trying to control himself.

Cid grabbed Hojo by the left arm and dragged him up on his feet.

For the first time since I first laid eyes on the professor, he really looked shaken. His eyes were locked on Cloud from behind his round lenses as if he was afraid he'd do something.

Cloud turned back to face him, but maintained a safe distance. "If we hadn't blown the entrance of this temple, we wouldn't be having this reunion. Right?"

I glanced up and saw Vincent, still in his flying cloak form, as he checked the upper levels to make sure no one else would be surprising us.

"That's it then?" Barret moved toward Hojo and leaned in. "Got anythin' else up your sleeves, asshole?"

Hojo remained silent as he glared back at Barret before his attention returned to Cloud. "Why don't you go ahead and kill me?"

Cloud walked up and paced in front of Hojo. "First I want you to reverse what you did to me…then I'll kill you."

The professor snickered and finally regained his composure. "You take me for a fool."

Cloud stopped pacing and stood nearly nose to nose with him. "No, it's you who thinks I'm the fool. You think I don't know what you did…how you did it?"

"Please, do enlighten me."

"You gave me more Jenova cells. That's what was in that shit you made me drink. And you mixed some other DNA in there to create an antigen. But you were expecting something more than just a leopard."

"Of course, I was! I'm a renowned scientist! You think I do this to amuse others?"

I couldn't help myself. I had to say something. "Do we look amused?"

Hojo didn't even spare me a glance. His eyes never left Cloud. "I had such high hopes for you. But with every attempt I made, you proved to be a failure over and over again."

"Makes me wonder if maybe you're the one who's failed," replied Cloud.

"No, my SOLDIER friend." He snapped his fingers. "Oh, that's right. You never made it, did you? Couldn't tolerate the Mako injections because you were too weak."

Cloud punched Hojo again, sending him sprawling to the floor for the second time. This time the professor had four slashes across his cheek and jaw. When I glanced at Cloud's hand, it was slowly transforming back from a leopard paw. As Hojo tried to get up again, Cloud pushed him back down with his boot. "Stay down there!"

"Cloud, he's just trying to rile you up," I said.

Hojo glared up at Cloud as he covered the slashes with a hand. "Did you seriously think that all of this was about you? All of this is much bigger than you. Believe me, you're not that important."

Cloud crouched next to Hojo and when he grabbed the front of the professor's lab coat and raised him up, Hojo cringed. "I'm not? I beg to differ. I defeated Sephiroth three times and you're looking for ways to control me. And since you can't control me, you're trying to prove to yourself that I was a failure. It's eating you up inside, isn't it."

Hojo jerked in spasms and I realized the man was laughing without making a sound. "You think I'm the one trying to control you? Haven't you learned anything yet?"

Cloud stared intently Hojo awhile before roughly releasing him. He stood up and suddenly swung his sword at Hojo.

For a second I wasn't sure anything had happened. But I was wrong as I watched Hojo's head slowly pull away from the rest of his body. Cloud had sheered the professor's head clean off.

No one said a word. Everyone remained still, watching Cloud wipe the blade of his sword on Hojo's lab coat, leaving a large red smear. He showed no remorse whatsoever.

I exchanged a glance with the others before walking up to Cloud. "Are you okay?" I quietly asked him.

"I'm fine."

"Why did you kill him?"

"I don't need him anymore."

My mouth hung open in confusion. "Would you mind explaining?"

"You heard what he said. He's not the one trying to control me."

"Yeah, but…"

"I know who it is now."

"Who?"

"Shinra."

I rolled my eyes. "You think Rufus Shinra's behind what happened here? The helicopter crash? The cannibals? Your transformation? All of this? Cloud, he couldn't have cooked up something this elaborate in a hundred years."

"I'm not saying he had something to do with all of this. Just some of it."

"Like what?"

Cloud's eyes suddenly widened and he suddenly started laughing.

"Cloud…what? Why're you laughing?"

Cid snorted. "I think the kid's finally lost his marbles."

"Shuddup, Cid," Barret growled. "This ain't no time for jokes."

We all stared at Cloud until his laughter finally died down.

"I can't believe I didn't figure this out sooner," Cloud said. "Shinra knew Hojo was here. He told the professor to mess with me. Except Hojo, in his infinite wisdom, had to add one more element to prove he had the upper hand."

I shook my head. "I don't understand."

"Think about it, Tifa. How do you suppose we escaped so easily? Hojo wanted us to escape. He wanted to prove that his reunion theory really worked. Just like the numbered clones being drawn to the North Cave to reunite with Sephiroth. He used it on me. That's why I felt the urge to come back."

"But what does Shinra have to do with any of this?"

"He knows what will cure me. He's getting exactly what he wanted…my cooperation."

Barret looked annoyed. "You're talkin' in circles, Spiky."

Cloud shook his head. "We need to go back."

When he took my hand, I pulled it away from him. "What do you mean go back? Back where?"

"Home."

I frowned at him. "But what about…? I thought you couldn't leave here or you'd end up as a leopard permanently…"

Cloud turned to the decapitated body of Hojo. "I don't think that's gonna be a problem anymore." He glanced at Cid and motioned with his head.

Cid walked over to Hojo and nudged the body with a toe. "Yeah, the creep's dead for sure this time."

"But…What was so funny? Why'd you laugh?"

"Because I should have known. My hatred for Hojo blinded me from seeing the real person behind this. It's so simple." He walked away without another word.

I exchanged a glance with the others before we all started following him back through the tunnel.

Something nagged at the back of my mind. Why was Cloud so quick to think Shinra was behind all of this? He was acting a little crazy. Maybe Cid was right. Maybe Cloud was finally losing it.

**

* * *

**

The Sea – the present

We took Kohler's boat back along the river and headed for Junon. It was dark by the time we hit the open sea.

"I feel strange just taking Kohler's boat," I said.

"Why?" replied Cid. "He won't be needin' it."

"Can't you show a little compassion?" I argued.

"What for? The guy tried to kill us."

"So did the Turks. Yet we still let them come and drink with us at the Seventh Heaven."

"Hey, that's your doin', not mine." Cid lit a cigarette. "If it were my choice, I'd toss them to the Midgar Zolom as an afternoon snack."

I gave up arguing with Cid. He always had to have the last word. Instead I walked over to where Cloud was steering the boat. "Are you holding up okay, Cloud?"

"Perfectly."

"No urges to return to the jungle?"

"Nope."

I was relieved. My thoughts strayed to Jamal. When we had come out of the compound earlier, we found him in human form, wearing the trousers of one of the dead guards.

"_Is he dead?" Jamal immediately asked._

"_Yeah," Cloud replied. "You don't have to stay here anymore. It's over."_

_Jamal's brows narrowed in confusion. "It's over? I can go home now?"_

_I walked up to him and touched his arm. "Yes, you can go home."_

_Tears formed in his eyes, but they didn't reflect happiness. He slowly backed away. "I can never go back."_

"_But this jungle can't keep you trapped here any longer."_

_Jamal shook his head. "That ain't it. My wife…my kids…they don't want me like this. They'll never take me back."_

He wouldn't willingly go with us so we had no choice but to leave him there.

"We'll come back for him," Cloud suddenly said. "If I can be cured, then so can he."

I smiled at him. "How did you know what I was thinking?"

His eyes searched mine briefly. "I don't know, Teef. I just figured…" He shrugged and leaned forward, kissing me on the lips.

If anything, this experience brought Cloud and I closer together and through all of it, maybe we became more empathic toward one another, knowing each other's feelings and sometimes even our thoughts.

Barret smashed something with his fist, making everyone jump. "Dammit! Can't this tub o' junk go any faster?"

**

* * *

**

HEALIN – the present

**Cloud's POV**

After checking with a number of sources, I was informed that Rufus Shinra was still stationed at Healin, even though he was cured of Geostigma. With all of his wealth, I couldn't believe he hadn't already built new headquarters somewhere, like the one that used to be at the center of Midgar.

No matter how hard I tried, I couldn't convince Tifa to stay home. She kept insisting she was just as much a part of this as I was. I knew she thought it was all her fault, that if she hadn't run away to Junon, then none of this would have happened. I argued that it would have happened regardless of her initiating it. Shinra was very persistent and for whatever reason he was involved in this, I was determined to find out.

We took Fenrir to Healin and after I pulled to a stop, Tifa hopped off from behind me. She sighed heavily and put her hands on her hips while looking up toward the structure. I followed her gaze and found Reno and Rude standing on the upper deck near the entrance.

Rude lifted a two-way radio to his mouth. "He's here," I heard him say.

"Hey, Rude," Reno said loud enough for us to hear. "Didn't we leave them stranded on a deserted island somewhere?"

"That was like a few weeks ago, wasn't it?"

"Seemed like yesterday. Time sure flies when you're having fun."

"Cut the bullshit, Reno," I yelled up. "Where's Shinra?"

"So you decided to come crawling here for help?"

I frowned. "I'm not crawling!"

"Yeah, sure. Whatever you say."

"Where is he?"

"Don't get all snippy with me. I might decide not to tell you."

Before I could toss back my retort, Tifa touched my arm. "Cloud, you know you're not going to get anywhere with him like that," she whispered. "You have to kill him with kindness."

"I don't have the patience to deal with him."

"Then let me try." Tifa looked up. "Hi, Rude."

"Hi, Tifa. Hope you didn't have a hard time while you were stranded."

"Oh, it wasn't that bad. Sort of like a mini vacation. It was so hot though, I couldn't keep my clothes on."

With a sick feeling in my gut, I watched Tifa smile and openly flirt with Rude. What was she trying to do?

"Won't you let us up and talk to Rufus?" she finally asked.

"You don't have to ask, Tifa. He's been expecting both of you."

I didn't wait for the conversation to continue. I grabbed Tifa's wrist and pulled her along hat with me. Before we reached the top of the long stairway, I dragged her to a stop. "Stop flirting with him in front of me," I whispered through clenched teeth.

She gave me an innocent look. "Just trying to help."

"The goon has a thing for you. You're leading him on."

"Yes, so we can get inside. Besides, I'm with you."

"He doesn't know that."

To my surprise, Tifa slid her arms around my neck and gave me a lengthy open-mouthed kiss. When she pulled away, she gave me a smile and a wink. "He does now."

Too bad the Turks were around. I would have made that kiss last a lot longer.

When Tifa continued up the stairway, I followed behind her. Rude looked a bit perturbed. Maybe he thought he might have had a chance with Tifa. Over my dead body. As I passed Rude, I couldn't help myself. I gave him a smug smile, silently conveying the fact that Tifa belonged to me. If I had been in a better frame of mind, I might have even rubbed it in his face.

I walked through the door first and glanced around.

The room was empty. Tifa came up behind me, followed by the Turks.

"So where is he?" I asked.

Rude walked to the other door and opened it. "This way."

Just to be on the safe side, I unsheathed Apocalypse from my harness before stepping through the door.

Rufus Shinra was in this next room, sitting in a black leather chair behind a large, elaborate desk. As usual he was dressed in a white, three piece suit with a black shirt. He was leaning back in his chair, his fingers steepled together.

I glanced behind me as Reno and Rude followed Tifa in again. They closed the door. I faced forward, glaring at Shinra, waiting for him to say something.

"Either you're here for a job or Hojo is dead."

"I'm not here for a job."

Shinra tapped his fingers together for several seconds before he stood up from his chair and walked to the window behind the desk. "You did the world a favor, Cloud. It's better off without a scientist of his caliber."

"The fact that you mentioned Hojo leads me to believe I was right in thinking you're behind what happened to me."

He turned toward me, that self-righteous smile planted on his face. "Perhaps you should ask Tifa why I went to the lengths I did."

I frowned and looked in Tifa's direction.

Tifa opened her mouth and shook her head. "I don't know what he's talking about, Cloud."

"Certainly you do," Rufus said. "I was trying to recruit Cloud's help and you prevented that from happening. Or has your memory failed?"

"You weren't trying to recruit his help," Tifa replied angrily. "You kidnapped me!"

"Yes…to ensure Cloud's cooperation."

I was already tired of the conversation. "You better just start from the beginning, Shinra. I'm not playing you fucking mind games."

Shinra sighed as he sat on the corner of the desk. "Hojo, in his infinite wisdom, was trying to cure my Geostigma. Well, needless to say, he failed. What he did accomplish was something completely different. Then the rain came. It cured the stigma, but not my…other problem." He folded his arms across his chest. "I need you to take me to the Cetra."

My head started swimming. What? "Aeris is dead."

"Yes, yes…so I've been told. I need you to take me to her."

I shook my head. "Are you hearing me? I said she's dead."

"If that's true, then how do you explain the healing rain?"

"I can't explain it."

"You've seen her, haven't you?"

"You're crazy."

"Am I?"

Tifa stepped forward, looking at me with a surprised look on her face. "Cloud? Is she alive?"

"No, she's not alive. She's part of the Lifestream. I…I only saw her once…or…twice, I think."

"I don't understand."

I swallowed a lump in my throat, hoping Tifa wouldn't be mad again. "She appeared once when I went after Kadaj to rescue Marlene and Denzel. Then she appeared again in the church where I woke up."

"Why didn't you tell me?"

"I thought you'd think I was losing it."

Rufus cleared his throat. "I hate to break up the lovers' squabble…"

I threw Rufus an angry glare. "Whatta you want with Aeris?"

"I want her to cure me."

"I can't help you. I don't know where she is and I don't know when or if she'll ever appear again."

He sighed heavily. "Then I suppose both of us are out of luck."

"What're you talking about?"

"Believe it or not, it was purely coincidental that our helicopter crashed near that rainforest. It just so happened to be where Hojo kept his secret laboratory. When my associates and I found it, I informed Hojo that you were in the vicinity. He seemed overjoyed. I instructed him to do with you as he pleased."

I clenched my teeth, but remained where I was, even though every bone in my body was telling me to take off his head, just like I did with Hojo. "Why?"

"To truly ensure your cooperation, Cloud. You see, what Hojo did to you, he had done to me earlier in his attempt to cure the stigma."

"I can't believe you staged all of this for your own needs, you selfish prick," said Tifa. She took the words right out of my mouth.

"There's no need for name calling," Reno muttered behind us.

I glanced over my shoulder. "Shut up!" I faced Rufus again. "Why didn't you come to me after it happened? Why'd you let me go on some wild goose chase, looking for answers?"

"Because I knew you'd eventually go after Hojo. And just as I predicted, you killed him. Like I said, the world is better off without him."

"So what'd he do to you?" I asked out of curiosity.

"He thought he could cure my stigma by injecting me with Darknation cells. You do remember my beloved pet? The one you killed a little over two years ago?"

"My heart bleeds for you, Shinra."

"So how about it? We can both use a cure."

I ran my fingers through my hair and briefly glanced at Tifa. She was watching me, probably wondering what I was going to do. I honestly didn't know. I came here thinking Rufus had a cure and instead I learned he needed one, too. I closed my eyes and shook my head. "I don't know if I can."

"Alright, Cloud. I see you need some time to think about it."

He wasn't getting it. I gave up trying to convince him I couldn't just call Aeris on the phone and ask her to meet me. I turned back to Tifa. "Let's get out of here."

"Fine by me," she said as she followed me to the door.

**

* * *

**

EDGE – the present

Cloud couldn't sleep, so I stayed awake with him in the TV room. We were curled up together on the recliner, talking about what had happened up to this point.

"Maybe you don't need to be cured, Cloud. I mean, you're not feeling the need to become a leopard anymore, right?"

"I know, but I still want the thing out of me."

I curled my arms tighter around his neck and leaned my forehead against his. "I'm not mad at you for not telling me you saw Aeris."

"It was actually three times. I saw her when I was fighting the Bahamut. She's helping us, Tifa."

I pulled away a couple of inches to look at him. "Then I know she'll help you now."

"But I don't even know how to find her."

_Are you all right?_

Then it suddenly dawned on me. The Forgotten City…where Cloud had laid her body in the water. I had a feeling we might find her there. Or rather, Cloud would see her there, if in fact she only appeared to him.

I wouldn't say anything just yet. He needed to stop thinking about it or he'd never get any rest. Instead I kissed him with a purpose and he responded without hesitating. After several minutes, I pulled away and nipped at his chin. "Can we please go to bed now?"

When Cloud slipped his hand underneath my teeshirt, I knew I had accomplished my goal of distracting him. "Let's go," he said breathlessly.

Maybe it would be better if I waited until morning to tell him my idea about the Forgotten City.

**

* * *

**

FORGOTTEN CITY – the present

The giant seashell structure behind the lagoon still looked the same to me. After two years I would have thought the vegetation might have altered the landscape, but this place seemed eternally unchanged.

I glanced toward Cloud as he walked to the edge of the water and buried his sword into the dirt. He crouched down beside it and looked out at the water.

Two days ago, I suggested to Cloud that we go to the Forgotten City. When he asked why, I told him I heard Aeris speak to me the last time we were there. He decided it was as good a place as any to start.

At first we weren't going to tell Shinra our plans. But it was pointless because we both knew we were being watched. So instead of wasting time trying to avoid his lackeys, Cloud and I contacted Rufus. He agreed to supply the transportation. Despite the fact that I had previously vowed never to step foot in a Shinra helicopter again because of what happened the last time, Cloud would be with me, so I felt a lot safer.

Rufus Shinra, flanked on either side by Reno and Rude, strolled forward and visually inspected the area. "This place is truly amazing," he said, trying his best to sound impressed. But I knew he was only doing it for Cloud's benefit.

"So now what?" asked Reno. "Should we all sit in a circle and hold hands, maybe light some candles?"

Cloud glared at him. "You could have stayed in the chopper, Reno."

"What fun would that be?"

"We're not here for your amusement, Reno," Shinra said. "Just keep quiet."

I walked over by Cloud and sat down beside him on the ground. "She may not appear while they're around."

"She may not appear at all."

I heard a giggle echo over the water and quickly turned to Cloud. But he didn't seem surprised. "Did you hear that?"

"Hear what?"

"I was wondering how long it would take Cloud to decide to come here," said the voice that sounded like Aeris.

Cloud still didn't appear fazed. Didn't he hear the voice?

"You're wondering why only you can hear me. Right, Tifa?"

I stood up and looked over the water as a light pink glow suddenly appeared and materialized into Aeris. My jaw dropped. "Why only me?"

"Huh?" Cloud looked at me curiously.

"Because it's my choice for now. Besides, I think there's something you want to ask me. Something personal?" Aeris asked in her sweet voice.

I stared wide-eyed at her. She looked just as I remembered her. "Yes."

"Then ask me."

Cloud stood up and moved in front of me. "Tifa…what're you doing?"

I nudged Cloud out of the way and noticed him look out at the water, trying to see what I was seeing. "Just one question…At the Gold Saucer, when you and Cloud went on your date…"

"Are you talking to her?" asked Cloud.

I shushed him and he frowned at me.

Aeris giggled. "He was so shy with me and very nervous. So we didn't get very far. I think he was worried about how you'd react if you found out."

I glared at Cloud. "I wouldn't have been as angry as I was about him lying to me about it."

"His heart belongs to you. It always has. Besides that, my heart belonged to someone else, too."

"Zack?"

"Yes, Zack." She looked to her right and stretched her arm out. A hand appeared and took hers.

Suddenly Zack Fair appeared standing beside her over the water. He gave me his trademark smile. "Hi, Tifa. Long time no see."

"Zack…"

From the corner of my eye, Cloud was scratching the back of his head. When Shinra came to stand on the other side of me, I decided it was best if I didn't speak any longer.

"Is she out there?" asked Rufus. "Can you see her?"

"Tell him we won't appear for him or his associates," said Aeris.

I turned to Rufus. "She said she won't appear for you."

Shinra looked disappointed.

"Hello, Cloud," she said after turning her gaze to him.

"Hey, buddy," Zack said immediately after.

I noticed Cloud's eyes were wide with wonder, so I knew he was seeing them.

"What's the matter, Cloud? Cat got your tongue?" Zack teased.

"Sorry," Cloud slowly replied. "I don't know what to say."

"Why don't you start with, hey, I need your help?"

"I…I need your help."

Zack chuckled. "You're really running up quite a medical bill here in the Lifestream."

"I know."

Aeris gave Zack a reproachful frown. "Zack, stop it." She turned back to Cloud and reached out her hand. "Come in the water, Cloud."

Cloud turned to me, as if he wanted my permission.

I decided I'd go in with him. So as I removed my shoes and socks, he quickly did the same. Then he took my hand and we stepped into the water together.

Aeris tossed something toward the bank and when I glanced over my shoulder, I saw a sparkling barrier blocking Rufus from entering the water. "Just sit tight, Mr Shinra," she said.

Given Shinra's reaction, I imagined she let him hear her voice that time.

Cloud and I stopped several feet away from Aeris and Zack.

"You know," Zack started to say. "I forgive you for trying to make out with my girl at the Gold Saucer."

Cloud's face reddened. "I wasn't…myself."

Zack grinned. "I know. I'm just messin' with ya."

"Zack, I'm trying to concentrate," Aeris lightly scolded.

When sparkling ribbons of fluorescent green appeared and began swirling around Cloud, I released his hand and took a step back, not wanting to interrupt her spell.

Cloud closed his eyes and jerked in spasms, his body slowly rising completely out of the water, held up by the swirls of green.

My eyes shifted to Aeris. Her eyes were also closed and her brows were furrowed in concentration.

"Is he in pain?" I asked Zack when Cloud started shaking almost uncontrollably in midair.

Aeris smiled, her eyes still closed and her hands still raised in Cloud's direction. "Of course not."

"How long will it take?"

"As long as it takes for me to find the source that causes his transformation."

I was curious to know how she could know what was wrong with him when he didn't even tell her what the problem was. "How do you know what to look for?"

"I've restored Cloud to health not too long ago." She was referring to the time he had been blown up after his fight with Sephiroth, which seemed like a lifetime ago. "Plus I'm familiar with Professor Hojo's work. Not many survive his experiments."

"Why is he here?" Zack said as he motioned toward Shinra.

I took several minutes to bring them up to speed on what I knew and how we finally came to be here. And how Rufus Shinra was involved.

Zack snorted derisively. "He wants Aeris to cure him? After all the trouble he caused?"

"I'll only do it if Cloud asks me to," Aeris replied without losing her concentration.

I glanced at Cloud. He had stopped shaking and his face looked peaceful. "Is it going okay? Will he be alright?"

Just as the questions left my mouth, Cloud began to float back down into the water. The swirls of green sparkles vanished. He slowly opened his eyes and swallowed hard as he raised his arms and looked at his hands.

I needed to know if he was fine. "Cloud?"

"It's gone…I can't feel it any longer."

My eyes swelled with tears. "Really?" When he looked up at me and I knew from his expression that he was going to be all right. I rushed over and threw my arms around his neck.

Cloud wrapped his arms around me in return and held me tightly. He surprised me when he kissed me right in front of everyone.

"Should we disappear and give you two some alone time?" Zack teased.

I pulled away, noticing Cloud's sheepish smile.

We both turned to Aeris and Zack. They had their arms around each other.

I smiled at Aeris. "You saved us once again. Thank you." When Cloud didn't say anything, I jabbed him with my elbow.

"Thank you," he quickly blurted out.

Aeris raised a finger and wagged it in his direction. "I don't want to see you here again."

"No, never." He scratched the back of his head. "I mean…not that I don't want to see you and Zack again…I sort of have…or rather I…"

Zack waved a hand at him. "Ah, just forget it."

Cloud grinned and nodded. "So…what about Rufus?"

Aeris turned to the man in question. "Tell him that he'll be cured, but if I hear he's not using his power and wealth for the good of the planet, I won't tell you what I'll turn him into."

Cloud turned to me. "Go on and tell him."

"Me? Why should I tell him?"

"'Cuz I'm tired of talking to him."

"You tell him."

"No, you tell him."

"Are you referring to something you need to tell me?" asked Rufus from the bank of the lagoon.

Cloud shrugged and took my hand. "Fine. We'll both tell him."

Five minutes later, while Rufus was in the process of receiving his cure from Aeris, Cloud and I stood on the bank watching with Reno and Rude. It took Aeris slightly longer to cure Rufus and for a second I thought he was going to burst into tears when it was all over.

He slowly came out of the water with a grin. It actually looked genuine. "Thank you, Cloud. I appreciate your help."

"Why're you thanking me?" Cloud retorted. "Thank them." He motioned toward the water.

Rufus turned, but I knew he didn't see them. "Thank them for me." He walked passed us.

Reno and Rude followed behind him as they left the area.

As we watched Shinra and the Turks disappear, I leaned toward Cloud. "Do you really think he'll keep his promise?"

"And be a good guy for a change?" Cloud smiled. "I doubt it." Then he turned back toward the water. "Aeris, I have one more favor to ask."

"What is it, Cloud?" she asked sweetly.

"It's not for me. We met someone else who survived Hojo's experiments."

At first I didn't know who he was talking about. And then it slowly dawned on me. Jamal. Once he was cured, he could return to his family.

Aeris smiled. "Of course I'll help him. Afterall, didn't he help when you really needed it?"

"You know about him?" Cloud asked curiously.

"The planet tells me everything."

He smiled. "Oh yeah. I keep forgetting."

My cellphone rang. I quickly picked it up from where I left it beside my shoes and socks. I glanced at the display and turned to Cloud. "It's Barret. Do you want to take it?"

Cloud took the phone from me and answered it. "Yeah, Barret…" He listened for a minute. "Okay, we're on our way." He closed the phone and handed it back to me. "Shadowcreepers are terrorizing Kalm. Cid's on his way to get us in the airship."

I sat on the ground to put on my socks and shoes. "It's about time he fixes that damned ship." I glanced over the water to say goodbye to Aeris and Zack, but they were gone. Deep down in my heart though, I knew it probably wouldn't be the last time I'd see them.

Once Cloud had put on his boots, we headed back the way we came in.

There would always be something happening somewhere and there would always be a need for AVALANCHE to come to the rescue. At least now I knew that when we were done kicking monster ass, Cloud and I would be going home together.

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I decided to also post an Epilogue at the same time. It just needed something else.


	31. Chapter 31 Epilogue

**Author's – So this is actually the very last chapter.**

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Chapter 31 – Epilogue

**SUBURB OF EDGE – Ten Years Later**

Dinner was cooking in the crockpot, so while I had the chance, I reclined on the sofa with my feet up and watched my favorite program on TV.

About halfway through the show, I heard the back door open and close. Cloud was home. "Tifa?"

"I'm in here."

Cloud walked into the den and approached the sofa. After I lowered the foot rest, he dropped down to his knees in front of me, lifted my top to uncover my pregnant belly and planted a gentle kiss there. "Hey, baby," he murmured against my skin. Then he lifted himself up to kiss me.

This was what he did every single day since I started to show. He had done the same thing when I was pregnant with Raine, our first child, four years ago.

"Feeling better today?" he asked before kissing me again.

"Much better."

"So having Marlene here is a good thing, right?"

I bit my lower lip. "Well…"

"What's wrong?"

"I have to tell you something, but I don't want you to get upset."

"I'll decide if I should be mad or not."

"I kinda caught her and Denzel kissing outside this morning."

"What?!" He jumped to his feet and started pacing. "I can't believe this. They haven't seen each other for months and just one day and they're all over each other?"

"They weren't all over each other. It was just a kiss."

"Yeah, you try telling that to Barret when he finds out. He'll rip Denzel's arm out and beat him with it. If I don't do it first."

I struggled to my feet and stopped him from pacing. "Honey, she's sixteen. She's old enough to experience a kiss."

"Yeah, but Denzel's eighteen and he should know better. Where is he now?"

"He's at work. He should be home in another half hour."

Cloud frowned. "I'll have a talk with him. You're in charge of talking to Marlene."

"I already had a chat with her."

"What'd she say?"

"She said Denzel asked her out."

Cloud grimaced. "Can't he wait two more years until she's eighteen? He can mess around with other girls until then."

I gave Cloud a reprimanding look before kissing him. "Go wash up before dinner."

"Daddy!"

We both turned to see our four year old daughter rush up.

Cloud caught her in his arms and lifted her up. "How's my little munchkin?" He wrapped his arms around her as she tightened her arms around his neck.

"Can we get a puppy?" Raine asked out of the blue.

Cloud's eyes shifted to me and he rolled them. "Not yet. We don't want to give mommy more work to do."

Raine pulled away to look him in the face. "But I'll take care of him. I promise."

"No, what I want you to do is promise me you'll never kiss a boy until you're thirty."

She gave him a funny look.

"Never mind. We'll talk later about the puppy." He put her down.

"Yay!!" She ran off.

When we were alone again, I wrapped my arms around Cloud. "Thirty? Did you forget I was only fifteen when you kissed me for the first time?"

"Yeah, and I also remember my raging hormones at that age. I'm never letting Raine out of my sight." He kissed me and then leaned toward my belly. "Hey, you in there. You better be a boy. I can't handle anymore girls."

I giggled and watched Cloud walk out of the den. I went out through the patio door to join Marlene who was sitting on the swing set in the backyard, watching Raine play with two of the kids from next door.

Her eyes came up when I approached. "Did…did you tell Cloud?"

I sat down in the swing beside her. "Yes."

"Was he mad?"

"Alittle bit."

"Please tell him not to get mad at Denzel."

"He won't. Besides, your father's the one you have to worry about."

"Cloud will tell him, right?"

"No, Cloud won't tell him. If you want Barret to know then I think the best way to handle it is to have Denzel ask his permission."

"He'll say no."

I gave her a reassuring smile. "Barret loves Denzel like a son. I think he'll be upset at first, but then he'll remember that Denzel is a good boy and would never hurt you."

"I love him, Tifa. We've known each other since we were little, just like you and Cloud."

I nodded.

"Tell me how it all started," she asked, sounding genuinely interested.

My smile widened as I thought about that first day. "I was only six when Cloud and his mother moved into the neighborhood from across town. At first I thought he was strange looking, with his wild, spiky blonde hair sticking out in every direction…"

I was happy to retell my story to Marlene. Afterall, throughout all the trials Cloud and I had faced in our lives, there wasn't a single moment, good or bad, that I regretted any of our time together.

**The End**

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Well, that's it. This story is finally finished. Hope you enjoyed it.

**As usual, I want to thank everyone that's read it and reviewed it. Your comments definitely kept me motivated and made me laugh.**

**My next project will be "Break Me Down: Redemption". It'll be awhile though before I post the first chapter because I've got some time off of work and I need to tackle some remodeling projects at home. Wish me luck laying down ceramic tile in the bathrooms. D:**

**I've updated my profile page with all of my upcoming stories. Let me know what you think.**


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